I Need You
by dreemseeker
Summary: Unusual circumstances unite hearts that were ready to love... Once a oneshot in response to Lulubelle09's challenge...Established relationships... Babe HEA
1. Chapter 1

Thank you Lulubelle09 for putting this challenge out there for us. We have all had fun with it!

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

I NEED YOU!

The canopy of thick vines and low hanging trees disguised their retreat as they carried the wounded men from the hell hole that that they had been trapped in for the past several months. Semi-conscious, the men barely understood what was happening to them. Even in their serious conditions, they had already been moved around to several locations in an attempt to prevent just such a rescue as they finally got tonight.

A special team made up of former Army Rangers had taken on the assignment to find this group of scientists and businessmen that had been abducted from the top secret research lab that they were building in the heart of the amazon jungle in Ecuador.

A very large, very tall man had been keeping watch over one end of the enemy camp as the operation took place. It was the careful eye of the man they called Tank, who kept them all safe, and allowed them to escape without detection. He and his partner entered the camp first. Without a sound they moved stealthily and one by one the guards were laid down in their final resting places. It was their job to do and they did it well, skilled as they were with the hunting knives they both carried.

At once the rest of the team in came to free the prisoners. Tank and Lester continued their watch, and it was then that Tank noticed the change in the calls of the birds in the trees surrounding the compound. He made a hand signal to the team, indicating that they needed to become invisible as quickly as possible. Moments later, no one was in sight when three small, dark skinned men snuck around the thatched huts with their large automatic weapons ready in their hands.

The men were confused, they had seen the team, it had been their job to watch and they came down from their hiding places to take care of the intruders, only they could not find them. Suddenly they ran into Tank. Or rather he ran into them, literally. None of the men would ever recover from their encounter with the big man.

On his signal, the team resumed their search of the huts. They were looking for four men. They found them. Starving, severely dehydrated, and injured, no doubt the result of the torture they had been subjected to by their captors. With great care Ranger assisted his men as they securely strapped the incapacitated men into the stretchers that they had brought for just this purpose.

Tank kept his careful watch as they silently prepared to leave the camp that now only held dead guards as its occupants. It was eerily quiet as he followed the team. He and Lester would be the last ones to leave the camp. Cal and Woody were doing a thorough check of each of the huts. Tank watched as they moved from one hut to the other. Each was checked and stripped of anything that looked important. Everything was going according to plan, exactly on schedule, right up until they approached the last hut.

The cracking noise from the softest footfall on the rickety bamboo step made them all freeze. Tank cocked his head to one side, he heard another unexpected sound. They all held their breath, and they heard it again. Tank motioned the other men back. Ranger saw what was happening and was immediately by his side. Extra precautions were taken before he entered the hut, Tank and Lester now each had a gun in one hand along with the knives they still held in the other. Several tense moments later Ranger emerged with a small cloth bundle in the crook of his arm. The look on his face prompted his friends to take immediate action. Lester took the bundle from him, and Hal inched around him to search the hut. Tank stared at him. The look they exchanged spoke volumes. No one ever wanted this to happen.

With the powerful beam of his flashlight, Hal surveyed the interior of the small hut. It was unlike any of the others that they had seen. Covering the walls were strips of fabric stuck in the loose slats as if they had been washed and hung up to dry. Buried in one corner, under bamboo mats and scraps of cloth that may have been blankets at one time, he found a thin ledger type book stuffed with wrinkled papers that had been smoothed out, folded and carefully tucked inside. Letters he noticed. Methodically he filled his pack with the items he could recover. He bowed his head and covered the body of the woman lying in the middle of the floor. His eyes met Rangers as he came out. No, this was not what they ever wanted to find during one of their missions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Helen Plum was yelling again, she had to in order to be heard over the happy noise in the park. She stole a glance at the hibatchi grill that was perched on the end of the picnic table, the burgers needed to be flipped. Once again she looked over at Frank who had just been wrestled down to the ground by Mary Alice and her best friend Tony in a friendly game of Frisbee. Little Nicky ran and jumped on top of the pile giggling as Frank grabbed him and started tickling him. Shaking her head at the antics of her husband, she shrugged and went back to the grill.

With a quick twist of her wrist, the burgers were turned over. A slice of American cheese was placed on the top of each burger to melt as they finished cooking. Helen turned again to call the family to dinner. Stephanie and Valerie helped round up the troops and herded them to the table.

This scene had become a regular occurrence in the past couple of months. Helen and Frank hosted the family BBQ in the nearby park in order to have a fun excuse to play with the grand kids, and to help the young mother of newborn twins that lived across the street. She could always use a break because along with the twins, this little family also boasted two active boys ages four and six.

Tony was the six year old, he liked to play with Mary Alice because she pretended to be a horse. He loved horses, even if he never tried to be one himself. Nicky was happiest when he was playing with Frank, which, as it turned out was nearly every day because Frank couldn't get enough of the little guy either. Every afternoon Helen would roll her eyes as she looked out the window and saw Frank teaching him the finer points of baseball, basketball and sword play all while he was on his knees in order to be at Nicky's height.

"Hands up!" Stephanie said, and four sets of hands shot up into the air. Each hand was wiped down with a moist towelette before they started to eat. At the end of the table, Valerie sat down with Lisa and tried to play the same game with her, but Lisa never seemed to like getting her hands or face cleaned, instead she started squirming and crying until Valerie finally gave up.

Plates of half eaten food were still scattered along the picnic table. The mess went unnoticed for the time being. Frank and Helen were sitting at the table talking in hushed tones as they watched Stephanie who was lying down on the large soft blanket had been spread out under the big oak tree. She was playing 'possum', pretending that she had fallen asleep. It worked every time. Before long, all of the kids were curled up around her taking naps after their active afternoon.

Helen was counting her blessings today. It had been so much fun watching Tony and Nicky. She gazed over at Frank, he looked content. It was keeping them both young having these kids around. Valerie's girls loved playing with the boys, Angie was a little babysitter, keeping them in line and Mary Alice loved having some boys to rough and tumble with.

Helen looked at Stephanie again. Her biggest blessing of all was that she had quit working at Vinnie's. Something about a promise she had made to Ranger before he left on another assignment. Helen did not care why, she was just glad that she had stopped getting calls about cars blowing up and she was happy knowing that Stephanie was safe when she went to work in the RangeMan building.

Behind her closed eyes, Stephanie was thinking about Ranger. She worried about him, every second of every day that he was gone. She had made a decision before he left. And so had he. By promising him to be careful while he was gone, she had pretty much changed her whole life. Joe was gone. It was never really about him anyway. They were never meant to be together. She had discovered that she would only be happy with Ranger. It hadn't been that hard for her to realize it, but she hadn't said anything, she figured that he might not be ready for it yet. It didn't matter, she loved him and she would wait.

Nicky suddenly snuggled up closer to her and Stephanie wrapped her arm around him. The kid liked her, and she had been surprised at how that had made her feel. She had always said that she was not good with kids. Along with her nieces, Nicky and Tony had shown her that she had been wrong. She had a lot of love to share, and kids respond well to that. She liked how that felt. Not that she would be having any of her own any time soon, but now she was not freaked out about the idea of it being a possibility someday. She closed her eyes again, wondering how Ranger was doing right now, wherever he was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ecosystems around the world were affected by the rainforests and jungles. The research that was going to be conducted in the newly constructed lab was intended to provide answers to the declining population of birds in the remote amazon jungle. Drs Taylor and Dutton had been excited to get the labs up and running. They had finally obtained funding from a large pharmaceutical company. After years of negotiations, the construction had just been completed. The grand tour inspection included several executives from the company that wanted to come and make sure that their money had been spent wisely.

Unfortunately they got more than they bargained for. The fact that they represented a drug company angered some of the nearby cartel leadership. They did not ask what the research was all about, they only felt that their business was being threatened and they acted accordingly.

The local government had sanctioned the research facility, hoping to bring even more American dollars into their coffers. So they were on alert when the drug lord made his move. Immediately the military was there to fight the cartel hit men. The scientists and businessmen got caught in the cross fire.

There was a standoff, and immediately the strategy was changed. The cartel kidnapped the men along with the woman who had come to provide translation services for the short time that the men from pharmaceutical company would be here.

International incidents were always a concern for the State Department. The fact that it involved top security projects and wealthy business men made it an urgent problem. Several attempts were made to negotiate a solution. When that failed, Ranger and his team were called in to steal back these important men.

They did not know about the young lady. In all of the intel that had been gathered, she had not been mentioned. The government wanted the scientists back, and the company wanted their executives found, but no one seemed to be looking for her. But they had found her, and her baby. It did something to the hearts and souls of these hardened men. It did something to Ranger when he had picked up the tiny bundle and looked into the eyes of the child, too weak to even cry.

Within twelve hours of the raid on the compound where they were being held, the men had been returned to the states. Ranger and his team, however, had not. They were still in Ecuador trying to cut through red tape. All over the helpless infant that had been found near the body of the dead woman.

Her identity and her story were finally provided by one of the scientists, when he was finally conscious. Maria Consuela Sanchez de Ibarra had been widowed before she sought employment with the lab. Dr Dutton was sympathetic to her plight, as she was expecting, so he hired her. After the kidnapping, the cartel had no intention of taking care of her, and she was treated as badly as the men. She died alone, days after delivering the baby herself, and just hours before Ranger and his men found her.

More searching revealed that Maria's husband, Matthias, had been killed in a territorial battle in the village. In an effort to defend their quiet safe lives, the men had fought the invasion of the cartel. They had lost. Maria knew that she was taking a risk by working for the lab. But it was the only job she could find, and she had wanted to be able to provide for her baby. Never had 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' ever been more devastatingly true, as it had been for Maria that day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As quietly as they had left, the team came back to RangeMan. Stephanie watched as they filed out of the elevator on the fifth floor. She waited, but Ranger was not with them. Her heart felt stabs of pain, he was not there. Her eyes searched Tank's for an explanation. But before he could say anything, her vision blurred and went dark. She fainted.

Waking up in Bobby's office, Stephanie did not say a word. If he was not coming back, she did not want to know. So she asked no questions that she didn't want the answers to. Bobby sat with her, soothing her with words that she did not hear, couldn't comprehend. Finally Tank came down to talk to her. She wouldn't, just couldn't look at him. The pain of what he might say was just too much for her.

"Stephanie, we need to talk," he said gently. She shook her head, still not looking up.

"No," she managed to say in nothing more than a tight whisper.

Her eyes were shut when she felt a phone being pressed into her hand. "You've got a call Steph," Tank said. Her heart lurched in her chest and her eyes opened, seeing Tank smiling and nodding.

"Ranger?" her strained voice said as she placed the phone by her ear.

"Babe," he said. "It is so good to hear your voice, are you alright?"

Tears streamed down her face, yes she was alright, he was alive, safe somewhere. The relief washed through her body, leaving her weak after all the conflicting emotions she had just experienced. She couldn't speak, and he seemed to know that so he continued talking to her. He couldn't give her details about his location or why he was still there, but he could say the things that he knew she needed to hear.

"Stephanie, you know that I love you." She nodded, and a smile lit up her tearstained face. 'And I love you' her heart yelled, but she still could not say a word. But he could hear the catch in her breath, he knew how she felt.

"I am trying to work something out," he told her. "But I can't do this without you." His grip tightened on the phone, he would be there with her, holding her, if he could trust the officials here to do the right thing. Instead, he sat in a sterile government building, holding a week old infant in his arms. This tiny little boy needed him. Needed a family. He was alone in this world and Ranger didn't know how to explain it, but he knew it was up to him to help him, he was supposed to be the one to watch over him.

This was the most unlikely situation. A child in his arms and the love of his life on the other end of the phone line. But it was right, they were supposed to be together, he just knew it. He was at a loss on how he was supposed to explain this to her. But he needed to try, here, now.

"Babe, I need a favor." He knew if he asked please, she would do anything he asked. But this was too important to force an answer like that. They both knew it was time to be together. He had just never imagined that it would happen this way.

Stephanie finally found her voice. "Of course," she said. "Anything you need."

Ranger took a deep breath. He needed to do this right. Well, as right as he could under the circumstances. He opened his mouth to speak, but he could hear muffled sounds from her phone. The phone dropped, but fortunately the call was not cut off. He listened, straining to hear what was happening, although he had a pretty good idea.

Tank picked up the phone and handed it to Stephanie. She was in shock, which was to be expected. But the smile on her face was radiant, and he just wished that Ranger could see it. With one hand she lifted the phone back to her ear. In the other hand she held the photograph that Tank had just handed to her.

Ranger smiled up at her. That is the first thing that she saw. That smile, the one that was just for her, made her heart leap with joy. There was something else in that smile. A question?

"Stephanie," Ranger finally said, after moments of silence where he could just hear her breathing. "I would like to introduce you to someone."

It was in that moment that she saw the small bundle that Ranger was holding close to his chest. A tiny hand reaching out to grab onto his shirt. Ranger was holding a baby? Stephanie's mind was whirling. She never expected to see this. Never ever imagined what it would be like to see him with a child in his arms. Tears sprang to her eyes. It looked perfect. He looked perfect. It felt right.

"Oh Ranger," she whispered. It sent magical shivers up and down his spine. It was a sound of awe, of reverence, she understood. It made his heart soar. He hugged the baby in his arms, and the contented sigh he made was heard all the way to Trenton. Made its way straight into her heart. She stared at the perfect little fingers. It was really all that she could see of the baby, but it was enough.

"I don't know quite what to say," she finally spoke. Then she waited for the explanation that she knew would be coming. Instead he asked her a question.

"Babe, is Tank there?" Stephanie was about to tell him that Tank had been here the whole time, but when she looked up, he was not anywhere to be seen. The confused look she gave Bobby made him laugh. Just then, the door opened and Tank walked back in the room.

"Uh, yeah," she said slowly, watching her friend walking toward her. What was he holding? Handing to her?

"We talked about this," Ranger started to say, but he immediately amended his statement. "We almost talked about this before I left," he said. Tank took the photo from her hands and replaced it with a small black velvet box. Ranger seemed to know exactly what was happening. "Open it," he said.

"I need you Stephanie," he whispered. Tears were in his eyes, and she could hear them in his voice. She joined him with tears of her own. "I need you to marry me," he finally said.

As Stephanie removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger, she heard the faint cry of the baby. It did something to her, deep inside and she knew that they were going to be a family. Her emotions were spilling over. "Carlos!" she said, her voice full of wonder, and awe with that thought.

That single word told him what he needed to know. His world was complete, more complete than he would have ever guessed possible. But her next words sealed it for him. "I need you," she said, the love evident in the tremor of her voice.

The baby softly cried out again. Stephanie laughed, "We need you!" "Now'" she quickly added.

In the most unlikely of settings, Stephanie stood in the infirmary at RangeMan and said I do into a phone. Ranger and the baby said their I do's from the other end of the line, in a secret location in some far off country. She did not care. They were together in the way it mattered, in their hearts. 'I love you' whispered a dozen different ways bound their hearts, their lives. Even if distance kept them apart.

A single man could not, by law, take a child out of the country. Only married couples could adopt. Even now that he was married, he had to pull a whole bunch of strings to accelerate the process so that he could return home with his new son. Home to his new wife.

For two days, Stephanie packed and repacked the Cayenne. She had tried to include everything that she could think of that the baby would need. The car seat was properly installed behind the driver's seat. She had blankets, and stuffed animals, changes of clothing, diapers in three sizes. There were containers of three different brands of formula with three different kinds of bottles, just in case. The list went on and on. Everything that Mary Lou had ever mentioned using for her kids had shown up in the car.

An hour before they left to meet Ranger at the airport, Ella and Louis came down to the garage. She pulled out the diaper bag. As Louis emptied the car, she took everything out of the bag and then stocked it with the things that Stephanie would need. They had been going over this for several days now. Stephanie was nervous, and Ella had tried at every turn to reassure her that she was going to be just fine.

Tank walked over to the SUV with Stephanie, and Ella handed her the diaper bag. "You may choose one animal for the baby," she simply said. With a sheepish grin, Stephanie walked over to the box that Louis held up to her. She pulled out a small chipmunk that reminded her of Rex. It would be just the right size for the baby.

Ella hugged her before she climbed into her seat. "You are going to love him, and that is all that matters!" she whispered into her ear. Stephanie nodded, the words slowly sinking into her head. She did love him. And she loved Ranger. Her shoulders lost their tension, she sat back in the seat. Everything was perfect.

The small plane taxied onto the carpeted tarmac waiting for their arrival. Stephanie and Tank waited, keeping their eyes on the door as the plane came to a stop. Even before the stairs were rolled over to the side of the plane, the door opened and Ranger appeared smiling at her.

As soon as he could, he moved down the stairs carrying the baby in one arm and pulling her to him with the other. Their first kiss as husband and wife was interrupted by an insistent cry from the baby. Ranger smiled down at him indulgently. "I'd like you to meet Matthias," Ranger said.

Stephanie looked into his eyes. "Carlos Matthias Manoso." she stated. And she bent to kiss his forehead. Much to her surprise and to her joy, Mat settled down instantly.

Tank had been overseeing the removal of Rangers bags and loading them into the trunk. Paperwork was completed and he ushered the new family into the car. Soon they were headed home. He looked at his friends. They may have all needed each other, but Tank smiled as he thought that they were also the luckiest people in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the continuation of the story that started with the challenge from Lulubellle09. This is for all of you who wanted more… I hope you like it!

Standard FF disclaimers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. By the Light of the Moon.

XXX

The children stared wide-eyed at the old woman standing at the edge of the river. They were all gathered here in the dark of night to hear, once again, the legend of the Star Princess. In hushed tones, the old woman started to tell the tale. She spoke of the beautiful young amazon girl who wanted to be a heavenly star.

A gnarled hand, almost crippled with age and a lifetime of hard work, swept out over the water. The children all looked at the reflection of the moon dancing on the dark surface. "This young woman came every night to sit next to the river," she said in a steady voice, belying her age. The story was unfolding, exactly as it did every time it was told. "She would stare up into the sky. The moon spoke to her. She heard him tell her that he could come and get her and take her into the heavens."

Sadly, the story teller who everyone called Abuelita, shook her head. The children unconsciously followed the motion, shaking theirs as well as they listened. 'Poor girl', they all thought, 'she was so silly to believe that it could be true'. Each child knew this legend by heart, but that never detracted from their desire to hear it being told, over and over again.

Usually the special telling would take place on a night like this, when the moon was full and reflected big and bright in the smooth river waters by the shallow banks. "But she did believe it," said the woman, as if she had been reading their minds. "It filled her heart with joy and she ran home to her father and told him of the promise that the moon had made to her." A collective gasp was heard from the group. "He was the chief, her father," Abuelita said importantly, puffing out her chest and lowering her voice. "And he was supposed to know everything, so he told his daughter that the moon was an enchanted warrior god."

"Our beautiful princess immediately fell in love with the warrior in the moon. She was going to be a star, it was her deepest wish. And when she was, she would be with him up in the heavens. That was all she wanted. She would visit him every night, mourning when he became small, and rejoicing when the moon was big and round. "

Now the children were looking between the sky with the full moon hanging high above them, and its large reflection in the water. They loved this next part, and sat with bated breath. The abuelita looked them each in the eye, and bent forward as she finished the story.

"No one believed that her love was real," she whispered. "They were afraid for her, the passion she expressed was so powerful." "One night they tried to keep her from going to the river." In every little mind they screamed 'no!... they can't keep her from the moon!' But not one sound was heard from the children, they waited for what was coming next.

"The princess broke away from them. She ran to the river. The moon was waiting for her. She knelt by the water, staring at his shining reflection, but she could barely see it through the tears in her eyes." Pausing for maximum effect, the old woman closed her eyes. When she opened them, she spoke with a voice filled with wonder.

"Mesmerized by the glittering light, the little star princess leaned over the water, her hand stretched out to her warrior, her love. Her family saw her fall into the water and she disappeared." Abuelita's arms spread open wide as she continued. "The moon in the water then turned her into a beautiful flower." The old woman gently pulled a lily pad over to show the excited children. A large white flower bigger than her hand sat on top of the enormous leaf, nearly glowing in the moonlight. She lifted it out of the water, pulling it closer so that they could all see it.

"The flower only opens her petals at night," she said solemnly. "Looking for her love, the warrior in the moon." With the final words of the legend still echoing in their ears, she released the lily pad and it settled again on the surface of the water. The collective breath that they had all been holding was let go with a sigh. Without another word, the children allowed their favorite story teller to usher them all back to their homes. It was always with one last wistful look at the sky, that they entered their huts to fall asleep with dreams of the star princess and her warrior moon.

They would have to wait now for another full moon before the legend would be repeated. It would be worth it.

Matthias pulled Maria to him as they watched the group leave. From their hiding place in the massive mangrove tree that grew out over the river, they had heard the story again too. Maria turned her face to look up into his eyes. As usual there were tears in hers and Matthias gently wiped them away, kissing her softly.

"You are my princess," he whispered. "But don't ever leave me," he begged her.

"My warrior god," she called him. "You are my soul, I could never leave." They teased each other this way only when they were alone. Someday they would get married. And then they would be together forever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The raid had been a success. Ranger and his men had returned the scientists to the safe arms of the government agency that they worked for. And the businessmen from the pharmaceutical company had been rushed to their own headquarters where they would be watched after in their lab clinic. None of this was of any concern to Ranger's team. Not until Dr. Dutton awoke and had information about the identity of young woman that they had found.

Hal had been going through the items that he and Woody had gathered from the camp. It wasn't much, mostly personal items from the guards, and the prisoners that had been trapped there. But when he came to the book filled with papers, he became curious.

Not only had it been found hidden in the hut with the woman and her baby, he felt that it was something very important that they should look into. The book itself was really just the hard front and back of an old ledger. The pages had been torn out, leaving it a sturdy cover to put the letters in. Hal had thought that they were letters when he first saw them, but he did not read Spanish so he could not be sure. To find out, he took them to Ranger.

Nodding his head, Ranger confirmed that they were personal letters, or a journal of sorts. Hal watched Ranger's face as he read them. A furrow in his brow, and his lowered eyes were all that gave away the emotions that he was feeling as he read. Emotions that were very seldom seen in the man he had known for so long. It was enough to let him know that whatever was said in these letters, it was important and powerful.

Maria Consuela Sanchez de Ibarra had wanted her son to know who he was. She gave him all she could in the form of his family history and the personal notes written to him expressing how much she loved him. Pausing as he turned over another page, Ranger drew in a deep breath. His heart ached as he read her tender words. She had started writing these letters the day her husband was killed. The day that her village was destroyed. For months she wrote tender messages to her child. It was bittersweet to read the words of this heartbroken young woman.

Halfway through the letters, he realized that she knew. From almost the moment that she had been captured, she knew that she was going to die. It was not from any of the words that were laid down in her flowing penmanship. But more of an underlying feeling that he got from the tone of the notes. And when it came closer to the time her baby was to arrive, she was more certain than ever that she would not survive. But she somehow knew that her child would. At least that was her hope, her dream.

After reading the letters, Ranger left the room without a word. Hal watched him walk out. He had known Ranger for a long time, had been on many missions with him. He knew nearly every subtle look that Ranger had, all his masks. But he had never seen this one. And all he could think of, at the time, was that it spoke of a pain too deep to express. His eyes followed Ranger's retreating form. Hal never wanted to see that look again.

Ranger entered the darkened room. Approaching the basinet, he could hear the soft breathing of the baby. It immediately soothed his troubled mind. He carefully picked up the sleeping child. So tiny, he hardly weighed a thing. He tucked him in his large arm, cradling him like a football. He walked over to the window, looking out over a sleeping city. The moon hung high in the sky casting a bluish tint to the shadows in the room. He chuckled as he caught himself swaying back and forth to rock the baby. 'If Stephanie could see me now' he thought. Those familiar tingles teased his back, as if he had felt her coming near. It brought a level of serenity back into his heart. He gazed down at the angelic face peeking out of the blanket. So perfect, so vulnerable, he finally looked peaceful after having been cleaned up and fed. And loved.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shadows crossed the room in varying shades of darkened grey, overlapping and creating shapes that would never exist in the light of day. Stephanie was jolted from sleep, she sat up in the bed and peered into the darkness. She had been awakened, but she did not know how, or why. Her heart was pounding as adrenaline coursed through her body. Slowly she gained control over her breathing and slumped back down in the bed.

At first she wondered if it was the new surroundings that had caused her to wake up so suddenly. Just today she had moved the last of her things into the seventh floor apartment in the RangeMan building, and had left her old apartment behind. It was another one of the things that she had not actually talked to Ranger about, but that she was sure had been implied. He wanted her safe, she had agreed to do everything she could to comply with his wishes, and moving out of her unsecured apartment was on the top of that list.

Stephanie was still as she carefully listened, but no unusual noises could be heard, nothing that could have pulled her from her sleep. All she knew was that there would be no getting back to sleep now. Ranger's big T-shirt bunched up as she scooted herself over to the side of the bed. She pulled it down over her legs as she walked to the front room. Not wanting to disturb anything, she left the lights off, just feeling her way in the darkness. Once she opened the curtains, light from the moon outside softly outlined the shapes of furniture in the room. Stephanie stared out at the sky for a while, there was something almost mesmerizing about the way the stars glittered beyond the soft glow of the moon.

Leaning her head on the cool glass of the large picture window, she felt an unexpected peace. Images of Ranger came into her mind. Her arms were wrapped around her shoulders. And she couldn't help wondering if it was an attempt to comfort herself, now that she had started thinking about Ranger, or to ward off the chill from the glass she was so close to? With all her heart she wished that he could be here, with his arms around her. And suddenly all of her questions, her fears tumbled in her mind. Where was he? Was he safe? Had he been injured this time? When would he be home?... 'Stop it Steph," she chided herself. Sometimes you really can just think too much.

After taking several deep breaths, to calm her nerves, her view of the full moon was suddenly blurred by the fog her breath created on the window. But still she continued to stare out at the silvery glow. Unconsciously she started to hum a song from a children's movie she'd watched so long ago. In the back of her mind, the words came drifting through. _ 'It helps to think ,we might be wishing, on the same bright star.'_

The moon and the stars high above her winked and shimmered. Some part of her understood now, she knew why she woke up unexpectedly. Ranger was safe right now. He was thinking of her, she felt it deep in her heart. She felt him, somehow, the familiar tingle whenever he was near. There was no explaining how, she just did and she knew that everything was going to be all right. A single tear escaped and trickled down her cheek, she missed him so much. But she was calm, in this moment she knew that he loved her. She did not need to know anything else!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	3. Chapter 3

Standard FF disclaimers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Legacy.

XXX

Harsh sunlight streamed through the window, assaulting Stephanie as it hit her full in the face. She attempted to ignore it, rolling over and groaning her displeasure. But she was awake now, and nothing she could do would put her back into the dream that she had been having. She sighed, they had been dreams of Ranger, his arms around her, whispering in her ear.

Stephanie stood abruptly before she let her thoughts go on too far. She swayed as the lack of blood to her head left her dizzy. Or was it the dream? It had seemed all too real. But dizzy or not, she could not think of a better way to start the day, than with Ranger on her mind.

Hot water pounded down on her shoulders as Stephanie luxuriated in the shower. She was feeling so relaxed. Until, at the same moment, a thought popped into her mind and the hot water ran out. Blasting her with a spray of ice cold water. Three hours later she would be hard pressed to say which had affected her more, the thought or the jolt of cold water. But she had thought long and hard about it and she knew what she had to do. She grabbed her bag and the box from the kitchen table and resolutely walked out of her door.

No matter how much the dream has captured her attention this morning, Stephanie remembered Rangers late night visit. She could not forget the feel of his strong arms around her, or his hot breath on her neck as he spoke to her. Every time she thought about it, she would feel her heart skip a beat, just like it had last night. Most importantly though, she remembered looking him in the eye and telling him that she would do everything that she could to keep safe while he was gone.

The weight of that promise settled on her today. There was something about the way he made that same promise to her, that made her stop and take notice. Every other time that he'd come close to saying it, it had been implied that it was really out of his control and that he was just giving it lip service. But last night was different. In his voice she had heard that he really meant it, he wanted to be safe and he wanted to come back to her. How could she not do the same?

She hauled the box into the office and waved to Connie. She did not stop to talk, she burst into Vinnie's office and set the box down heavily on his desk. "Steph, what the.." Vinnie started to say, before he slammed the phone down and stood up quickly. "What is all this about?" he asked.

A determined gleam in her eyes kept him from saying anything else. Stephanie grabbed a couple of sets of handcuffs and dropped them on the desk. Her stun gun followed as she set it down with a thunk. She threw a couple of cans of pepper spray on top of the pile. Vinnie was still watching with a deer in the headlight look on his face. A small stack of folders was placed on the corner of the desk and she placed a hand on them as she leaned forward.

"I am done Vinnie,' Stephanie said. " Pass on the Bombshell Bounty Hunter legacy to someone who wants it," she stated. Before he could say a word, she pushed herself up, turned and walked out of the door.

"Bye Connie," she said over her shoulder as she left. She waved her hand and did not look back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gustavo Matthias Sanchez. He ran his finger over the name tooled deep into the thick leather cover of the family bible. The name had a sound of importance to it. That was what Gustavo had always thought. He had been proud to carry the name of his father, and his father before him. Matthais, the name that would live on forever now, through his son.

Out of the small window, he could see the couple walking up to the house. Their wedding was coming up tomorrow, his son and his pretty bride looked so happy. He couldn't be happier himself, and he started to hum a lively tune as he lifted the heavy book into his arms. He would be passing it on to his son someday, but today he wanted to show them where their names were to be added to the family genealogy, along with the date of their dia del matrimonio. It was a family tradition to do so, and had been for generations. But that is not why Gustavo was so anxious to share this with them. It was for Maria. He wanted her to see that she had a place to belong. He had seen how devastated she had been when the fever took her parents and her sister from her over a year ago. Family was important. And he wanted her to know that she would never be alone again.

He turned to set the book on the table. Just then, Audelia, his beautiful wife walked into the room. She could light up the darkest night with her smile. He had always loved that about her. She was gentle and kind and so generous. And he was still so honored that she had chosen him all those years ago. Oh, how he loved her, and the knowledge that she loved him too always made Gustavo stand just a little bit taller. His life was good. Audelia kissed him on the cheek. Leaving him with a smile that stayed on his face all evening.

Life in Cabo Estrellita was simple and quiet. Not much changed out here near the rain forests, and most of the villagers liked it that way. Traditions were strong and were a way of life. Gustavo was a rancher, it was the family business, the one that Matthias now worked with him. The one he would give to his son in just another couple of years. Everything that Gustavo had learned about the raising and care of horses and llamas, he had taught to Matthais. It was hard work, but their horses were the ones used by the farmers to plow their small fields, and by the traders who left the village to sell their goods to neighboring communities. And the llamas provided the wool that Audelia used to weave beautiful rugs and blankets. Most of the ones she made were for the family and friends, leaving just a few that were taken to the market and sold. Each one a unique work of art.

It was because of the tranquility and simplicity of their lives that they loved being mostly isolated from the rest of the world. It was also what made it so easy for the drug cartels to disrupt it. The traders had long been coming back with tales of the injustices being made in the other villages. Greedy drug lords were swooping in wanting not only their lands, but the labor of the people who lived there. Huge promises were made to them for their cooperation. Promises that were never kept.

It was a profound foul evil, a disease of corruption, and no one in Cabo Estrellita wanted any part of it. But it would turn out not to be their choice. Just a few short months after the beautiful wedding of Maria Ibarra and Matthias Sanchez, the peace of their little community was shattered.

The leaders of the village had been approached by one of the drug lords. He had made his proposal, his promises, and they had turned him down. Rejection was not something that was to be tolerated and it was a lesson hard learned by the village. Only hours after the meeting, an attack had been made out by the river. It was swift and final. The women washing clothes in the shallow waters near the banks of the river had been gunned down. Not one of them had been spared. But the noise of the automatic guns brought everyone from the village running to see what the commotion was.

Maria had been in town at the time. She dropped what she was doing and was one of the first people to reach the river. Gustavo was right behind her, he knew that Audelia had walked out of the house with her basket of laundry a short time before. At first they did not see her, but Gustavo found her lifeless body under the roots of the same Mangrove tree that had been the favorite hiding place of her son and his novia. Maria had known loss, but she had never experienced anything as heart wrenching as this. She held her hands clasped in front of her chest, tears fell unchecked and she watched as her father in law knelt by his wife and pulled her into his arms. Holding her head close to his he wept. Soundless sobs that shook his body. His faced twisted in the pain he felt as half of him was torn away. His heart was broken. Maria tried to console him, but there was nothing that she could do.

Gustavo had given up. He was nothing without Audelia. Matthias had not been able to say anything that could ease the pain of his father's grief. For days he neither slept nor ate. He spoke to no one. His suffering seemed never to end. He was not alone, many of the men in the village had lost their wives that day. The whole community mourned. It had been the worst thing that had ever happened to them because of the evil intent behind it.

In this time of mourning, Maria and Matthais discovered that she was expecting. Desperate not to add to the grief of the village, they did not know how to tell anyone of their glad news. But they shouldn't have worried. It turned out to be the miracle that they had all needed to begin to heal the open wounds that the deaths of their loved ones had left. A renewed desire to preserve the life of their little village helped Gustavo to see that he did have a reason to live. This news reminded him that he had a legacy to pass on to his son, and to his grandson.

Once again the men met in the center of the village. Determined that this atrocity would not go unanswered. Gustavo led the discussion with such an impassioned speech that he rallied the strength that was found deep inside of everyone to fight the cartel. It was with this fervor and commitment that they talked again with the representatives of the drug lord. Knowing what they wanted, the men attempted to propose a compromise. They could use the fertile lands along the river if they would just leave the village alone.

There was no such thing as compromise for the cartels. And within hours, the attack on Cabo Estrellita began. Gustavo once again rallied his friends to stand up to their enemies. He was the first one to die. Matthias had been by his side and tried to attack the man who had killed his father. Other men came to his aid, and in the chaos, Matthias looked up and saw Maria. She was pulling children out of harm's way, grabbing the small children paralyzed with fear and taking them into the forest. His love for her filled him. As he watched her disappear once again between the thick growth of trees, he hoped that this time she would stay there. He knew that she could hide with the children and be safe.

They fought valiantly. Mismatched with weapons and skills, still they did all that they could to defend their families, their homes. It was a horrible scene. When Maria rushed back to rescue another child, her heart was crushed. So much death, her friends gone. Unshed tears stung at the back of her throat. She knew that the inevitable was happening, and she frantically searched for Matthias. Their eyes met, she rushed to him. But before she could reach him, he was shot in the back. "No," she screamed. This could not be happening. Someone heard her anguished cry and turned to see the same man pointing his gun at Maria.

Anger and agony mingled and tightened in her chest. The man was a coward she thought, they were all cowards hiding behind their big guns. Her momentum carried her forward, and she did not see who attacked the horrible man, saving her life. Her eyes only saw Matthias as he slumped down to the ground. She reached out to him, catching him in her arms. Hugging him to her she cried out his name. Matthias opened his eyes. His Maria, his beautiful wife. He wrapped his arms around her and in his final act of love he rolled over, covering her with his body. He knew that if the evil men saw that she was alive, they would stop at nothing to kill her too. He would not allow that to happen, not to her, not to his child.

She struggled underneath him, she had to see his wound, stop the bleeding. But she stilled when he whispered her name. "Maria, don't move," he gasped in an uneven breath. "I love you princess," he said. His final words before he died. She now knew how Gustavo had felt. Her grief consumed her, but out of respect for the sacrifice of her husband she did not move. All she could do was silently cry, streams of tears coursed down her cheeks, but she made no attempt to leave until all sounds of shooting and shouting ended. When she finally got up, she looked in horror at the place that used to be her home. The huts were all destroyed. Bodies of her loved ones and her friends were everywhere.

She kissed Matthias on his forehead, as she gently laid his head down. The pain of losing him consumed her and she collapsed, her head resting on his chest, her arms around his shoulders, holding tight as if she could will him to come back. She did not know how long she stayed there. The sorrow in her heart seemed to be so big that she could not breathe, could not move. Finally she stood and started to search for survivors of the massacre. She found none. Even the children she had tried to rescue had been found and slaughtered. Somewhere a fire started and it spread from hut to hut, igniting the dry straw from the thatched roofs and sending flames high into the sky. Thick black smoke rose in the sky, taking everything she had ever known, ever loved with it. There was nothing that Maria could do to stop the spreading of the fire. She raced to her home and then to the home of Gustavo and Audelia. She recovered what she could and left the village burning behind her. She knew that she would never return, there was nothing left here to come back to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Large beads of sweat formed on his tanned forehead and dripped down into his eyes. With an absent gesture he wiped the back of his hand over his face as if he hadn't really noticed. His focus was on the bird lying on the ground at his feet. Bright blue and yellow feathers stood out against the rich, moist soil beneath the motionless body of this bird. Plastic gloves covered his hand as he stooped down to pick up the bird and place it in the sterile container.

Dr Brian Taylor was a tall man, and while he appeared slim, his body was solid muscle. He was bald now, but when he allowed it to grow, his hair was thick and dark blond. An appealing combination with his ice blue eyes. He knew that many women thought of him as a handsome man, but he had not given it much thought. Over the years, he had not given women much thought either. His work came first. Always first. He did not miss the relationships that others seemed to think were vital to the existence of human beings. He never even thought about them. He vaguely wondered if the fact that he would never have children would upset his parents. After all their legacy of scientific prowess would end with him.

His love was birds. It had been this way for as long as he could remember. He would not be able to tell you why, it had just always been so. As a child he observed them from the window in his second story bedroom. The tree outside his room had been a haven for all kinds of birds and he would sit for hours watching them. Maybe it was just something to do, for an only child of older parents. His parents, both professors at the local university, encouraged his interests. They actually let him participate in the research that the biology department conducted.

As a young man, Dr Taylor remembered one of those biology professors telling him that his fascination of birds was a wasted effort. There was nothing to be gained by studying them, he said. All that they needed to know, he told him, had already been discovered and documented. That conversation had left him disheartened and very discouraged. But all that changed in the 1980's, when a scientist discovered that the Pitohui bird in New Guinea was poisonous. The response to this news made a big splash in the scientific community, and the bird as well as the scientist became famous. But more importantly, it changed the world for young Brian Taylor. Apparently there was more to learn, so much more.

Back in the lab, he consulted with his partner. Showing him the bird. This was beginning to be a huge concern for them, and they both knew that they were going to need some help to continue with this research. Dr Taylor's studies in Madagascar matched the findings from Costa Rica and Borneo. He had been on his way to the Amazon to continue his research when he became involved with Dr Tom Dutton, his current partner.

The two men could not be more different, but their love of birds and the desire to solve the mystery of the decline of several species, bound them together in an ongoing relationship. As they consulted their data, Tom Dutton pulled out his large handkerchief, wiping his face and neck before stuffing it back in his pocket. With the humidity in the rainforests, this room they called their lab was unbearably hot. But the importance of finding a solution to save the birds in the rainforests usually took precedence over their obvious discomfort. It was just another day, in temperatures that matched the humidity levels in the atmosphere. Both men would let their eyes wander, at some time, to the thermostat just outside the window. But knowing really did not help them feel any better.

Another paper hit the rim of the trash can and bounced off onto the floor. It joined the countless other papers crumpled into balls and tossed when the notations and calculations seemed not to provide the solution that they sought. It was Brian that contributed most of the discarded papers. Tom was more methodical, slower to discard an idea that did not seem to work. But no matter their differing methods, the men worked well together.

As it always did, their conversation turned to the proposal that they had recently received from the Humelik corporation. The large pharmaceutical company was willing to fund not only their research, but the building of new facilities right on sight in Ecuador. It was a no brainer to Brian. He needed state of the art labs and the money to continue his research, and they had it to offer.

Tom was as eager to find the cause, and subsequently the solution to the dangers the ecosystems faced with the mysterious illness of the birds. But he had definite reservations about the motivation that a drug company would have to help them. In the past he had only had to work with the government and within the medical community itself to fund his work. Something about the Humelik company did not sit right with him.

Why would a pharmaceutical company want to study birds in the Amazon? Tom had asked. Brian had immediately answered, why would they not? The rain forests had long been referred to as the world's pharmacy, since so many of the plants found in them were the basis for the drugs that have been developed. It was a good argument and in the end, Brian won out. They made an alliance with this large corporation. And now, Drs Taylor and Dutton were on their way to finalize the details of setting up their new labs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With his long, deliberate stride, Ranger entered the room with his team. Large maps covered the walls as well as the large conference table, and the agency officials were already seated around the far end of the table, waiting.

Their annoyance did not bother him. Ranger had been called in to coordinate a last minute operation. Time was of the essence, but it was his time that mattered, not theirs. The briefing had gone pretty much as he had expected it to. These men in suits wanted to placate everyone, from the military group in front of them, to the pharmaceutical corporation reps that were hounding them for solutions, to the other agency that had been controlling the research information. Ranger tried hard not to succumb to the urge to try one of Stephanie's eye rolls as he listened to their posturing.

The reality of the situation was that these men needed him, and he would agree to help them out, but it would be on his terms. It was always on his terms. All of his terms. He came to them with a legacy of service that was far above the call of duty. If they wanted him, they would do what he wanted.

More and more lately, he had realized that he did not want to leave home. Okay, not home, Stephanie. She was his home after all. It would not matter where they were, as long as they were together. 'Home is where the heart is' they say, and Stephanie held his heart.

The discussion droned on. With highly developed mental abilities, he could carry on this conversation, make his demands and negotiate the terms all while having his internal dialog. He was having much more fun thinking about Stephanie anyway. He almost… almost made a face of annoyance. Not at the men talking to him, but at himself for taking so long to finally realize that he needed Stephanie in his life. He was going over the last conversation that he'd had with her. Her blue eyes had blazed, matching the wild energy of her hair all around her face. He had caught her in bed again, looking all disheveled and sexy, sleep still in her face. Their midnight conversation had not been nearly long enough to say all that needed to be said. He could recite a list, as long as him arm, of the things that he had intended to say to her. But he got lost in those eyes, and all he had wanted to do was hold her. A look of self-disgust had slipped dangerously close to breaking through his carefully crafted mask. He had not even had the presence of mind to say the three little words that he knew she needed to hear. "I love you"

He had pushed it to the last minute, and when it was time to go, all they really ended up with was a promise made to each other to be careful and keep themselves safe. In the end, it was probably something that neither one of them could really have any control over. But it had comforted him somewhat to know that she had stared him in straight in the eye when she said she would try. Reluctantly, he had to put his thoughts of Stephanie away now. The deal had been made, and they had a rescue to orchestrate. All of his focus turned to the details that would get them there and back in one piece. Fulfilling his last promise to Stephanie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	4. Chapter 4

Standard FF disclaimers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Family.

XXX

With her fingertip Stephanie lovingly traced the lines of his lips on the photograph that she kept with her constantly. Her love for Carlos seemed to grow with every moment, and she could not get enough of the mysterious smile he gave her in that picture. She also touched her finger to the tiny hand of the baby. "Mat" she whispered softly. He was so small, especially compared to her husband.

'Husband'! Her face glowed with an inner peace and an indescribable joy as she repeated the word in head. She loved the sound of that, and she could not wait until he got home to her. It was nearly torture knowing that it was going to be several more days until he would here and she could feel his arms wrapped around her again. They were finally going to start their someday together. As a couple, as a family.

All she wanted was to have him with her. So, this morning she raided his closet, throwing on one of his gray button-down shirts over her regular uniform of jeans and a t-shirt. Yeah, it almost drowned her, coming down to the middle of her thighs. But she just rolled up the sleeves and tucked the photo in the breast pocket.

Pulling up in front of the Stankovik residence, she maneuvered around a small bike and a well-used little red wagon to find a place to park. As she walked around the car, the front door opened and her friend came running toward her. It was so great to see her, she really needed her today.

By the laughter she saw in her eyes, Stephanie could tell that Mary Lou knew exactly what her fashion statement was all about today. She often wore Lenny's shirts when he was away for a while. Somehow it made her feel like she was close to him in some significant way. If only in thought, it did make her feel better. The friends understood each other, Mary Lou nodded at her and then opened her arms to welcome her into a big hug. Stephanie stepped forward, it felt good to be able to lean on someone until Carlos got home.

"Congratulations!" Mary Lou whispered. News of the wedding was not widely known yet, but Stephanie had told her best friend. In fact, she had told her the whole story. Starting with her promise to Ranger to keep herself safe, and about quitting Vinnie's. Then the proposal and exchanging vows over the phone.

She ushered her into the house and led them back into the kitchen. After they settled in with a cup of coffee and some of Mary Lou's famous chocolate chip cookies, Stephanie pulled the photo from her pocket. She told her about the baby that Ranger had found. Mary Lou's eyes misted up, she had never seen anything as precious as Ranger holding the small bundle in his arms and that tiny little hand trying to hold on to him.

"His name is Mat," Stephanie said with wonder in her voice. They both stared at the photo for a long time. The magnitude of what was happening was hitting Stephanie in degrees. First she was relieved that Ranger and the whole team were safe. Then ecstatic that Ranger asked her to marry him. Then thrilled and overwhelmed when she was introduced to Matthias. Now, it was hitting her with full force that she was going to be a mom.

"Mar, remember when I told you about Nicky?" Stephanie said softly. Mary Lou smiled and nodded, and she continued. "Yesterday we played in the park again with Nicky and Tony." She looked up at her friend, a soft look in her eyes. Mary Lou made a motion with her hand, encouraging her to tell her about it. Stephanie had talked to her before about the adventures of Mary Alice and Tony, and about the family picnics with the boys. Now, she updated the stories with the nap time experiences. "It always felt so nice when Nicky would want to cuddle up next to me," Stephanie said with a wistful sound to her voice.

"But what do I know about taking care of a baby?" Mary Lou understood exactly what Stephanie was going through. Any new mother would be nervous about caring for a newborn baby, and they usually had nine months to get used to the idea, to prepare. Stephanie would have just a few days to wrap her head around all that being a mother would mean. But she had already seen the wonder and the love in her face when she talked about Mat. She was going to be just fine.

Mary Lou squeezed her hand and started to give her a pep talk, which was exactly what Stephanie needed. After a while she grabbed her hand and pulled Stephanie around the house giving her a crash course on being a parent. There was an explanation about every item that she would need to know about to take care of a child. Sprinkled with tips and tricks that she had learned with her brood.

Knowing that she would never remember everything, Stephanie was actually taking notes! Which just made Mary Lou laugh, and she teased her about writing the next sought after child care manual. When they made it back to the front room, they sat on the couch and Stephanie stared at the notebook, her eyes misting over. Could she really do this? she suddenly wondered. Overcome with the extent of the responsibility she would have with a baby, suddenly she was scared.

Mary Lou read the look on her face. "Just love him," she said. "And that will be enough!" Stephanie looked up into her eyes, she could see the wisdom, from experience, in them.

Then they twinkled with mischief, Mary Lou nudged her playfully with her elbow and said, "Besides you have Ella on your side." Stephanie nodded. Enough said.

XXXXXXX

Noisy shops lined the main road of el pueblo Tiputini. Maria stoked the neck of her horse to keep him calm. "!Chiton, Rayo!" she hushed him before moving down the side of the road. She stared at the excitement and general chaos of the markets. She had been here before. Her father had been a trader for the village, and from the time she was a little girl, he had sometimes let her make the trips to the surrounding villages and towns with him. She was used to the hustle and bustle, but Rayo was Matthias's horse and he was more accustomed to pulling a plow than hauling things to a crowded market street. She was good with him and he calmed down to her soothing voice, and slowly he walked along where she led him.

As she passed the shops that her father had introduced her to so long ago, she remembered the times she spent with him. He taught her how to read, how to speak several of the local dialects as well as some English, and how to barter. Maria had watched him carefully. She was fascinated by the way he was so friendly with everyone, immediately putting them at ease.

Paco (Francisco Lorenzo Ibarra) could charm anyone. He was taller than most of the men in the village, and just a little bit stocky. His powerful, well-built physique had always made her feel safe, it reassured the men he worked with and sometimes even attracted the attention of women. As any good salesman would, he used everything that he had to his best advantage. Many times she had seen him in action. He always brought the best price for the goods he sold, and he did so by being exactly what each buyer needed him to be. He was also honest and offered the best quality items available, it turned out to be a powerful combination. To the benefit of his family and the people in the village.

Most of the men in Cabo Estrellita passed their businesses onto their eldest sons. It was a long standing tradition that served the community well. All the necessary services continued to be provided, and people were eager to work with the families that they had known for generations. The fact that Paco Ibarra had two daughters did not keep him from participating in this tradition. He determined that any child of his could succeed. So he started teaching his oldest daughter everything he knew about trading. Maria was a quick study. She was smart and tenacious. He was as proud of her as any man was of their sons. The bond between father and daughter was forged early and became very strong. Maria learned all the lessons she needed to be a great salesman herself. He always intended to pass on his business to her, she had been well accepted as his assistant, and he knew she would do well.

Maria now made her way to the Casa Alfombra. The Pantoja family had owned the carpet store for as long as she could remember. Since her father's death, she had been the one to sell Audelia's rugs to them and she trusted Bolivar Pantoja as much as she had trusted her own father. They had mourned with her when her family was taken, and she was sure that they would help her now that she was alone in the world. Tears moistened her eyes as she approached the shop and heard the deep teasing laughter of her friend Boli.

News travels fast among the villages, and the moment Bolivar saw Maria his eyes widened in surprise. He ran to her and pulled her to him in a warm hug. His heart was full of joy to see her. He had thought that she was dead. The fires had attracted so much attention and word was that there had been no survivors. He closed his eyes in gratitude to God that she had been spared. The tears began to fall, and Maria let her grief flow from her broken soul as he enfolded her in his arms, in his love. He led her inside and took her back to sit with Yoana. His wife would be able to see to her while he took care of her horse.

In her efforts to reach Tiputini, Maria had kept herself from thinking. She had put herself on automatic pilot, so that she could function enough to find a safe place for herself and her baby. Now that she was in the embrace of Yoana, her feelings could not be contained. She cried for the family she lost over a year ago, for the family she found and had lost in the attack, for her village and the injustice of it all, and most of all she wept for her husband. There would never be a time when her heart did not ache for Matthias. She had always loved him, and she always would. After a time, Yoanna took her back into the family quarters and helped her lay down to rest. She fell asleep immediately, weary from the journey, destroyed by the ruthless attack and broken without her love, Matthias.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Hours after Dr Tom Dutton was taken to an anonymous government facility, he awoke with a start. Sterile white walls and bright, flat lights on the ceiling let Tom know that he was no longer in the dirty hut in the middle of the Amazon jungle somewhere. Relief flooded his mind, it was over. He had spent the past several months being afraid during every single waking moment. Afraid of the threats, afraid of the physical abuse, afraid of the food that had made him sick more times than not. Afraid that he would not wake up the next time he fell asleep. His mind had been as tortured as his body.

As he came to his senses, he thought that he must have been asleep for quite some time. The aches and pains that had been so intense when he was last conscious felt like they were practically healed. He raised his hand, it had an IV taped into place, but to his surprise, bruises still covered his arm and the cuts were still on his palm. What may have seemed like an eternity to him, had probably only been a couple of days. How did he get here? He had no memory of being rescued. In fact his last memory had been of the beating that he had taken from the tall, ugly guard who seemed to really hate him.

Most of the beatings he'd had were by that man. All because he had been constantly trying to protect Maria and trying to keep that monster from assaulting her.

Maria.

Maria! Where was she? Was she okay? Tom became increasingly agitated. The monitors responded by beeping and flashing, calling the nurses that rushed into the room, followed by a stern looking doctor. Tom tried to ask about Maria. But they all seemed to be ignoring him. Finally he grabbed the hand of the closest nurse and made her look into his eyes. "Where is Maria?" he asked forcefully. But he knew by the look on her face that she did not know what he was talking about.

That upset him, more than he would have thought possible. He wanted to know, demanded to know what had happened to him, how he got here. Hoping that the answers to those questions would tell him what happened to the young woman who had been unfortunate enough to be kidnapped from the lab with them. The doctor ordered a sedative and within a few minutes, Tom was no longer awake.

The next time he opened his eyes there was a large man with dark skin, dressed in black clothes standing by his bed. Tom was sure he had never seen him before, but somehow he knew that this man had answers for him. So he asked the one question that had haunted his drug induced dreams.

"Where is Maria?" his voice sounded scratchy and weak, but his tone let the man know he was serious about getting an answer. The man looked at him and responded immediately.

"The woman we found in the camp was dead," he lowered his eyes, as if he was very sad. "She may have died shortly before we got there," he said, his voice deep and low. Tom watched as he took a deep breath and straightened up again. He raised his head, and once again their eyes met.

"I need to know everything you can tell me about her," Tank said, and then he waited.

Tom swallowed hard and began to speak. The information he had to tell was not complete by any means, but he tried to include every detail that he knew about Maria. The man nodded and sat down. He listened intently to each word. Tom related his story to the man who had introduced himself as Tank, a member of the team that had come to rescue him.

He had met Maria only about four months ago, when he had visited the construction site. They had nearly completed the lab and he had been there to help with the delivery and installation of some equipment. Big boxes had been unloaded and stacked up in front of the door. He had left them where they were, since the lab needed to be cleaned before they could open them.

He was inside, starting the clean-up job himself, when a young woman peeked around the tower of boxes. Tom remembered her big brown eyes that seemed so sad, he told Tank that she had asked if there were any jobs available. Her English was broken, and the thick accent told him that she was not from the nearby village. He had been about to tell her that all the positions had been filled when she walked around the boxes. She was such a small thing, and it was obvious that she was pregnant, even though she was only about four months or so along at that point.

There was something about her that touched his heart. Almost like finding a lost puppy. He could not turn her away, so he gave her a job cleaning up after the construction, and then later as an interpreter for the men who came down from Humelik. All told, she had only been working with them for a couple of months before the altercation with the drug cartel and their subsequent kidnapping.

Tank watched Tom closely, he looked distraught. His free hand was grabbing the crisp, white sheet in a tight fist. Then Tom stopped talking to take a deep breath. "I tried to hide her," he finally said. "This was not her fight, she should not have been involved at all."

He shook his head. "It was all too awful, and it happened so quickly." Tom closed his eyes and leaned his head back into the pillows piled behind his head. "She was so sad," he said with his eyes still shut. "Her husband had been killed, her whole village had been destroyed by these drug lords. I would have done anything to protect her from what happened."

He looked up, not really seeing the ceiling, seemingly lost in the memory. And then raised his head to look at Tank. "I didn't want this to hurt her, she had suffered enough," he said. Then he fell silent as if there was nothing more to say.

After a few minutes, Tank started asking some pointed questions. Among other things, he found out that Maria had been living with a family in the village, just a short walk from the lab. He decided that he would visit this family as soon as possible.

XXXXXXXXXX

He did not have any answers. Dr Brain Taylor, world renowned ornithologist, one of the most brilliant minds in ecological sciences was unable to tell them what they wanted to hear. From the moment he woke up in the government building, Brian had been under fire. His 'visitors' wanted answers from him. Even before he was strong enough to sit up without getting dizzy, they had hounded him with questions about the research. They were after something specific, but Brian could not figure out what it was. He did not know why the Humelik people were here, how they convinced the government agencies to let them talk to him so soon. He was as annoyed as he was wary about the situation.

Finally after hours of what he considered an interrogation, they left him to rest. In the dark, he could see the glowing lights of the monitors that were hooked up to him, reading his vital signs. They were the only source of light and he had never felt so lonely in his entire life.

He tried to laugh at that thought. He had never cared about being alone before. He had his work, and that had always been enough. Why was he suddenly feeling this way and actually questioning his attitudes that had served him well for a lifetime? Trying to ignore these uncomfortable feelings, he instead concentrated on the questions that he had been asked. One by one he examined them in his mind, recalling the responses he had seen to his answers, or lack thereof. What had they been hoping to learn from him? He spent a good part of the night working that question from every angle that he could. Suddenly, a thought came to him. He knew exactly what they were after and it made him angry. Maybe Dutton's mistrust of the pharmaceutical company had not been as unfounded as he had once believed.

He wished that he had his notes. Not so that he could refer to them, he could remember everything that he had written, but to keep it out of the wrong hands. He now he felt the sudden need to keep these men from Humelik from seeing his work. He had discovered what they wanted, and he needed to be sure that they did not find it.

But just as suddenly as he knew what they sought, another thought popped up. He had to have been gone from the lab for several months, at least. They had had every opportunity to find his notes and the answers to their questions. A moment of panic seized at his heart, had the lab been destroyed during the battle between the cartel and the police? He did not even want to think of his beautiful lab and all that work being destroyed. But if it had not been, where were his notes? As Brian finally let sleep take him, he determined that he would get back to Tiputini as soon as he could, to seek the answers to his questions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This had never happened before, as far as she knew. And it was certainly not something that she ever thought she would see. With a well-practiced maneuver, Private Susan Adams pulled the canvased covered truck into the underground parking structure. She slowed down to let her eyes adjust from the bright glare of the sun outside to the shadowy darkness below. As she unloaded the most unexpected assortment of items, she wondered why there was a baby here at the field office. Shaking her head, she piled the boxes and bags on the cart and entered the building. Her mind mulled over the mystery. They had very few visitors out here, and certainly none with families. This was a very unusual situation.

In a short time she had set up the nursery, taking care to make everything as perfect as she could. Her shopping trip had been a little surreal, and she had had a challenge with a few of the requested items. But now she was proud of the job she was able to do. Before she could leave, the door opened and she looked at the man who walked in. She kind of sucked her breath in and tried not to stare. He was the most beautiful man that she had ever seen. The phrase 'tall, dark and handsome' sprung to mind, and she had to agree. His black hair was long and tied back, and his dark skin reminded her of her favorite mocha caffe. She was only slightly embarrassed by her instant interest in this man, she was a happily married woman!

Susan's mind tried to think of who he might be. She was absolutely sure that she had never seen him before, no way she could forget that handsome face. Suddenly she realized that this must be Captain Manoso, from the team that showed up here late last night. She stood straight and started to bring her hand up to salute him properly. It was then that the small bundle in his arms made a soft crying sound. Her heart melted, her hand paused halfway in the salute. Manoso smiled, an endearing combination of shy friendliness and helplessness. "Adams?" he said, acknowledging that he knew that she was the one assigned to outfit the room for him. She just nodded, unable to speak quite yet.

"This little man here seems to be uncomfortable," he said, as he proceeded to the table that she had outfitted with a padded quilt and a plastic liner for changing the baby. He carefully laid the tiny boy down and placed his hand protectively on his chest. Again, his smile spoke to Susan who immediately stepped forward and opened the box of baby wipes, pulling a couple out and setting them on top of the box while she opened the package of diapers, pulling one out to have ready. She stood to the side, not wanting to take over unless she was asked to do so. After all, he did out rank her.

After a moment, she saw that he seemed to be doing just fine on his own. "The baby might be hungry too," she said, still watching. "Would you like me to get some formula ready?" He smiled once more and nodded slightly.

"Yes, thank you," he said turning his attention back to his task at hand. Susan gathered what she would need and left the room. When she returned she found him seated in a large wicker chair. The baby was in the crook on his arm and he was looking at him with wonder. At the same time that she wondered how often he had ever held a baby before, she thought that he looked perfectly natural and seeing him with the baby felt so right.

The baby fussed just then so she stepped forward and handed him the bottle along with a burp cloth. He accepted both, and positioning the cloth below the baby's chin he got right down to business. When he looked up again, Susan suddenly felt like she was intruding. She started backing up toward the door, and just as she was turning to leave, she heard him softly say "Thank you." His voice was low, in an effort to not disturb the child in his arms. A million questions ran through her mind. Not the least of which was what was a man like Manoso doing in the middle of nowhere with a baby? But as she closed the door, the last glimpse of him gazing down so tenderly at the small infant made her heart melt all over again. There was no doubt that they belonged together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	5. Chapter 5

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Reality.

XXX

The assignment to Ecuador was to have been an in and out, one day affair. Ed Aslak, Vice President of the company, and his director of Research & Development, Leo Markus, were chosen to represent the Humelik Corporation. It had been assumed, on their end, that having high ranking officers coming to give their blessing would show good faith to the government officials that they were working with in Ecuador. They also thought that it would be the best way to pacify the doctors and keep them happy so that they would continue to comply with the requests that had been made concerning their research findings.

With the expense and commitment that Humelik had made to this lab and to the research, they were sure that there would be no problems. They anticipated one hundred percent cooperation from them, and they were here to collect the first installment on that obligation. Whether the doctors knew it or not.

Their plane arrived at nearly five in the morning local time. This was intentional. They had factored in another hour or so of travel time to reach the lab, getting them there long before anyone else would even think of arriving. They were wrong.

"What the …!" Showing his displeasure by using enough expletives to make a sailor blush, Leo was the first to notice. They could see the lights glowing in the near darkness of the overgrown jungle as they approached the lab. Adding some choice words of his own, Ed joined him in his frustration. Someone was in the building, before six o'clock in the morning! It took a few minutes for both men to calm themselves down enough to walk into the lab and meet whoever it was that had ruined their plans by showing up this early.

As it frequently happened, Dr Brian Taylor had had some trouble sleeping last night. Ideas for some new calculations and a list of small tests that he wanted to run had taken over his thoughts. After several hours of trying, he realized that he would not be able to get any sleep. It would be best if he could do something useful, so he went in to the lab. Until he left his room, he truly did not know exactly how early it was. It didn't really matter. The important thing was getting on with his research. That was always his first thought.

Brian walked down the street and was met by the delicious aromas of Lucio's Panaderia. Lucio Zarate, the baker, was the other human being in this town crazy enough to be up this early too. He got to work before 3am so that his first batch of pan dulce or small sweet rolls would be hot out of the oven by five o'clock in the morning. The perfect time for Brian to grab a few on his way into the lab. In a last minute decision this morning, he decided to grab extra rolls to have on hand for the big inspection. The men from Humelik would be here later that day and he figured that they might as well make a little party out of the occasion.

Once in the lab, Brian slipped into his scientist mode immediately. He was intently working with some chemical compounds, breaking down the substance that he had found in some water and plant samples. He had some suspicions of what this substance was, but to prove his hypothesis, he needed to run some extensive tests. Several sheets of notes were spread out along the counter. He referred to them often and added calculations and notations about the results of the experiments. Brian was so absorbed in the work that he did not notice the two men standing in the doorway, watching him.

"Ahmm," Ed cleared his throat in the universal signal of getting attention. It worked, Brian's head snapped up and he glared at them. He hated having his work interrupted, that was another one of the reasons he frequently came into the lab when no one else would be here. It took him a few seconds, staring at them to see just who it was that was standing there. The Humelik people? He blinked a few times, just to be sure he was not seeing things. 'Why were they here now?' he wondered.

He recovered quickly, and in the time it took him to stride over with his hand extended in welcome, Brian Taylor had transformed himself from intense scientist to efficient business man. He ushered the men into the office and offered to make some coffee. Polite conversation dominated the next few minutes, all the men were a bit distracted, eager to get on to their work at hand. None of them aware of what the other was planning to do.

Leo finally excused himself to find the restroom. Brian talked to Ed and offered to drive the men into the small town where individual rooms to rent were as close as they were going to get to a hotel. But Ed declined. Instead, he asked for a tour of the facilities and something to eat. The former request to get a good idea of the lay of the land, and the later to get rid of Dr Taylor long enough to make the private search that they were here for.

Brian complied to his requests, but much to Ed's surprise, the tour ended in the back of the lab where a small kitchenette of sorts had been thrown together. Brian took some fresh fruit from the mini fridge, and placed it on the rolling cart. He grabbed the paper bag with Lucio's rolls, and the basket that Maria had arranged with napkins and flat bowls and a few forks. "Shall we?" he said, as he rolled the cart back to the office.

Once the small feast was laid out, Ed and Leo had no choice but to sit down and enjoy it. With another pot of coffee brewing, they settled into a discussion about the latest tests that Brian had run. In excruciatingly minute detail, he described the problems that he had noticed in the Buenaventura fungi, relating a few of the reasons that he was concerned about the insect life because of the problems he had detected. Although Leo did follow much of what he was saying, Ed had not been in the research end of the operations of the company, and he was lost in the terminology from the start.

All of the men were frustrated. Their own agendas interrupted. And they were all trying to figure out a way to get on with what they wanted to do when Dr Dunne arrived. Brian was at once relieved. He made the necessary introductions and left the men in the capable hands of his partner.

Having learned that the men had arrived unexpectedly early and had already taken a tour of the labs, Tom suggested that they might want to get a look around the grounds where they kept many of the plants that they were studying in what could only be very loosely described as gardens. He also showed them the greenhouse where more experimental plants were being watched. He also thought that they might be interested in the number of birds that they had attracted to this natural aviary.

Tom proceeded to point out the hummingbirds, and Toucans, and grey hawks. When he heard the distinct call of the Jocotoco bird, Tom directed their eyes back down to the ground where they could see the endangered bird hopping at the base of the trees.

Just as Leo was losing patience with the whole thing, they heard a loud commotion around the front of the building. All three men raced around the corner to see several trucks full of men armed with guns. Before they were spotted, Tom quickly pulled them around to go in the back door.

The next few minutes were chaotic and very tense. The reality of the situation left them in a panic. But no one could have predicted what would happen next.

XXXXXXXX

It was just a short way, comparatively, but after her walk from the village, Maria was soaked with sweat by the time she arrived at the lab. The humidity levels seemed higher lately, even for being this close to the rainforest. So she had started bringing a bag with a change of clothing and a few items to help her freshen up in the restroom once she got to work. As she entered the building, she smiled, enjoying the contrast of how was cool it was inside. With a touch of pride, she noticed how clean everything was too. That was her job and she had been very good at it. But today, she had been asked to be an interpreter for the important businessmen who were coming to inspect, now that the building was completed and the work had started in the labs.

No one saw her as she hurried to the restroom to get ready. Maria took extra care to fix herself up. She wanted to help her Dr Tom to impress the visitors. So she swept her shiny, black hair up into a pretty twist. She did not need any makeup, her dark lashes defined her dark brown eyes, and the flush from pregnancy brought all the color she needed to her cheeks. All she added was a bit of pink tint to her lips. And instead of the loose pants and tunic that she usually wore, today Maria had a soft cotton dress that flowed gracefully over her slight form. With one last inspection in the mirror, she was satisfied. She packed her travel clothes into bag and hurried down to the lab where she would leave the bag out of the way on a lower shelf.

Just as she entered the room, she heard shouting. Angry voices like those that she had heard before. Her heart stopped beating and she stood paralyzed in her place. Tom came running toward her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her further into the lab. He looked frantic and she was even more scared than ever now. Tom was looking around the room, but she was not sure what he was looking for, but apparently he found it and he spun around with her, taking her back to a metal locker in the corner. He opened the door and apologetically asked her to get inside, Maria was confused, she took a step backwards and her bag bumped into a stack of papers on the counter behind her and they fluttered down to the floor. "Please!" begged Dr Tom, looking so worried. So she stepped inside.

He had just started to close the door when the voices came closer. In just a few seconds she heard him move away from her. screaming at the people who had entered the lab. His protests were silenced by a blow that Maria could actually hear, bones cracking on bones. She did not hear Tom say anything else, but she knew that he had been dragged out of the room. Maria held her breath and tried to shrink even further back into the locker in an effort to not be seen. The noise had now receded into the hall and she peeked out of her hiding place. This was all wrong, and she knew that they were in big trouble.

Tom had said that he wished that he could get her out of here, and she now agreed wholeheartedly with that. She decided to try to crawl away to safety out the back door, just down the hallway. She listened carefully, the noises were all in the front hallway now. she hoped that it was safe to leave. When she crouched down, she noticed all the papers. Something told her to gather them up and take them with her. An effort to keep the lab looking tidy? Or did they look important? Not willing to spend time wondering why, she scooped up all that she could reach and stuffed them into her bag. There were also paper balls all over the floor that had not been there when she cleaned up last night. She knew that Dr Brian must have come in early this morning, again. He had often worked at odd hours, and he always tossed crumpled papers at the trash can but he often missed the mark. She gathered up as many of those as she could too, still not knowing exactly why. Hastily she tucked her head and arm through the wide strap, slinging her bag across her chest and holding it close to her as she crawled out of the room. She had almost made it down the hall when the back door burst open and several men in uniforms were pushed inside. She froze. The ugly men who followed them were from the cartel. It all got worse from that point on. She was dragged down the hall with the policemen and forced to sit near them. Without warning, the men were shot and they fell at her feet.

Tom gasped and threw himself across the room to pull her into his arms, tucking her head into his shoulder so that she did not have to look at the bloody sight. It was the last thing that she remembered. When she awoke, she was in a dark hut. It must have been very late. Her head hurt and she reached up to feel a gash on her forehead that felt like it was still bleeding. She was alone.

XXXXXXX

Filtered sunlight angled down through the narrow basement windows, spotlighting the twin chests of drawers that sat side by side against the opposite wall. There were also two hope chests lined up next to the drawers and a pair of beautifully carved rocking chairs near the center of the spacious storage room. The chairs were covered with sheets protecting the needlepoint seats from dust, and they looked like ghostly sentries keeping watch over the assortment of furniture and boxes that occupied the room.

Helen Plum reached the bottom of the stairs and took a quick look around the large basement, nodding with satisfaction. Although she seldom spent a lot of time down here these days, it was still as orderly and tidy as the rest of her house. Along with the other furniture, storage boxes were neatly stacked along one of the walls, and several portable wardrobes with canvas covers occupied another.

With a purposeful stride Helen entered the room and opened the top drawer of one of the chests. After removing the contents and cradling them in her arms, she sat down on the nearest hope chest. Stephanie's hope chest. The one that Helen had helped her fill with domestic items for her marriage. Stephanie had brought it back home after the divorce from Dickie. Helen couldn't blame her, those were not great memories. She wondered if her new circumstances would change her feelings about the chest, and its contents.

Gently the items in her arms were placed on her lap. For a long moment, she sat very still. The conversation that she had earlier, with her daughter, was still was ringing in her mind. Stephanie was married! The shock had not worn off yet. And strangely enough, a ceremony over the phone seemed perfect for this couple. Even Helen, as hard as she tried, could not see Ranger and Stephanie having a large, fancy wedding. The circumstances may have been unusual, but everything seemed to feel so right. Even hearing about the baby had only been a momentary surprise. Believe it or not, this is what she had always wished for her younger daughter. A man who loved her and a beautiful family. It just had to be done in Stephanie's own way, in her own time. That may have been a hard lesson for Helen to learn, but seeing what Stephanie had now, she was so glad that this is the way things had worked out.

One by one, Helen held up the tiny outfits. Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them away as quickly as she could. There would be time for her trip down memory lane another time. Right now she needed to help Stephanie get ready for the arrival of her new baby. But still, she let herself take a moment to remember how cute her baby girls had been.

Both Valerie and Stephanie had worn these clothes when they were babies. The blessing gown she held up now was three feet long, with a scalloped and embroidered hem that had flowed gracefully during their christenings. The tiny pleats around the collar were embroidered with geometric patterns in curved rows holding the pleats in place. Helen always thought that the white on white design made it appropriate for a boy or a girl. She had once hoped that she would use it for both. But she had never been blessed with a boy, so only her girls had worn it.

She carefully folded it and placed in the basket that she had brought down with her. It was Stephanie's turn to use the gown now. The other very girly clothes were packed in new white sheets of tissue paper and placed back in the drawer. Maybe Stephanie would have a girl sometime too. This thought caused a smile to spread across her face. She just knew that Stephanie would be one of those women who were absolutely radiant when they were pregnant. Someday.

Brand new Layette blankets and bibs and burp clothes were taken out of the next several drawers and added to the basket. Helen had been adding to the collection since the day Stephanie had been married. Even after the divorce, she had continued to add new items whenever she found a good sale. Score a point for wishful thinking!

As the drawers were emptied, Helen realized just how many things she had purchased over the past several years. Always with the hope that Stephanie would find her prince charming and live happily ever after. She could not be more thrilled that her daughter had found him, and that he had found her. The photo of Ranger and the tiny little boy was etched in her mind. The love that she had seen in his eyes had spoken more than a million words ever could. She no longer had any doubts that they would make their happily ever after a reality.

She day dreamed a little bit, wishing wonderful things for Stephanie and remembering her days as a new mother. Those were some precious times. As busy as her little girls kept her, she would never trade those moments for anything in the world.

When she looked back down at the basket, Helen realized that it was already overflowing, it was not nearly large enough to put everything in. With a shrug and a self-conscious smile, Helen found a few empty boxes and she started to carefully pack everything away.

When she got to the bottom drawer, she felt tears on her cheeks again. Lifting out several padded books she set them down next to her. First she opened up Stephanie's baby book. Once again she was taken back to that first year of her life. She smoothed the lock of hair, straitening the bow that tied the tight little curl to the page. Looking at page after page of photos and handwritten notes, Helen swallowed the lump in her throat. A lifetime ago Stephanie was her baby girl. Now she was suddenly a mother herself. Life could be so sweet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lester found his destination in the middle of a lush green jungle setting. The Humelik labs were housed in a low roofed building that blended into the natural surroundings. The structure itself was constructed with walls a foot thick of cinder block type materials. The exterior walls were covered with bamboo slats, mimicking the local native custom of construction. The roof was tightly thatched, and he had no doubt that the thatching covered efficient, modern roofing materials. The door was hollow steel painted to look like wood, it was closed and locked with a simple latch which took him all of five seconds to open.

Inside, he noticed that the air was cool. Not an easy thing to accomplish in this humidity, he figured that there must be some very good insulation in these walls. Lester was impressed, he could tell that they had spared no expense in building the labs.

Without touching anything, he walked through the building, scoping it out and getting a feel for the layout. The lab was clean, no evidence of the attack, no blood on the floors. Not one thing was out of place. He knew that it must have been thoroughly searched and cleaned after the incident. But the reality was that whoever had done it had not been nearly as talented as Lester was. He snapped photos with his high tech digital camera, documenting his visit here. He carefully made his way through the two rooms set up as labs. There was also an office and a storage room and at the back of the building was a decent sized restroom.

Once he had been through the whole place, he went back, meticulously searching every inch. His brow furrowed in frustration at times and in doubt at others. Finally in the front lab, a smile wiped away the wrinkles of concern in his forehead. He had found what they all knew had to be here. In a metal cabinet in the back corner, he discovered that there was a false back. Behind the original cabinet was a space built into the interior wall. It looked to be a somewhat amateur job, one that the doctors must have done by themselves after the construction of the building had been finished. Smart move, he admired the ingenuity and cunning that it had taken to come up with this hiding place.

As soon as the back was removed it revealed a whole collection of research manuals and notebooks filled with notations. There were also several boxes of loose pages, and again they were filled with all kinds of notations and paragraphs of explanations. From the dates on these papers, Lester surmised that one or both of the doctors placed their findings back here at the end of each day. The last date he saw being the day before they had been abducted from the facility.

The bottom row held loose-leaf binders filled with research from previous expeditions mostly from Dr Taylor, but there were some books from Dr Dutton as well. Lester was pretty sure that this was a treasure trove of information that the Doctors would be very glad to learn had remained safely hidden away. He remembered that Dr Taylor had been particularly nervous about his work. Now he realized just how protective he had been.

Taking every precaution he could, Lester packed up all the materials in several flat bottom duffle bags. Then he replaced the back of the cabinet and contacted Tank, smirking at, but grateful for the simple walkie talkies that they had with them, since their cell phones did not work out here. He waited by the back door of the building with the bags. By now it was dark outside. Lester heard Tank pull up behind the building. They had borrowed a jeep with canvas side and top covers. Military issue. That gave them some credibility in the town, and they would be able to easily blend into the regular street traffic as they left Tiputini behind.

As Lester placed the bags inside the back flap, he noticed a strange collection of things already piled in the jeep. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. It looked like Tank had gone shopping at the local market street. That didn't really make much sense, so he jumped into the passenger seat without saying a word. If he needed to know, Tank would tell him when he was ready.

Everything that they had found was taken back to the base where they were staying. It was time for some answers before they headed home in another day or so.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	6. Chapter 6

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. The games people play.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dark clouds covered the sky, not exactly threatening rain, but very effectively blocking the sun. Ella smiled as she stepped back and surveyed her work. This was the perfect type of day to wash the windows. No Streaks! The tinted windows on the upper floors were always contracted out for cleaning, but here at the official entrance of the building, there were floor to ceiling bullet proof windows flanking the full glass door. As it was the first impression that guests to RangeMan Inc. would have, Ella liked to keep the glass sparkling clean.

Satisfied with the cleaning job, she gathered the lint free cloths and picked up the spray bottle of her own blend of window cleaner, and tucked them into her new cleaning basket. The lime green plastic basket had been a gift from Stephanie. And although it was the perfect size for all of the window cleaning supplies, Ella was still getting used to the bright color. It was much different from the standard grey buckets and baskets she had been using for so long, but it made her smile every time she saw it. Just like Stephanie herself, it brightened up any room it found itself in.

As she opened the door to go back inside, Ella caught the reflection of a big blue car. She stopped to take a closer look. Just as she thought, it was Helen Plum. She smiled and waved. Helen smiled back with a nod as she pulled up to the curb. They had spoken earlier, so Ella knew that she would be coming by today. She had been looking forward to it. After Helen parked, she popped open the trunk. Ella could see that the boxes inside were big and a bit cumbersome, so while Helen maneuvered them out one at a time, Ella ran and grabbed a cart for her to use to bring them inside.

The two women chatted on their way up to Stephanie's apartment. When they briefly took a detour on the sixth floor, Ella quickly ran into her apartment and added a few things of her own to the cart to take with them.

Standing in the hallway on the seventh floor, the two women exchanged conspiratorial looks as they knocked on the door. The surprised look on Stephanie's face when she opened the door was priceless, and they all started laughing.

"I was just thinking…" Stephanie started to say. Both Helen and Ella nodded. Maternal instincts were strong, this would be something that Stephanie would learn very soon. Helen looked at her knowingly, the same way you know that your child is coming up the street to your house, is the way you know when they need your help. Helen hugged her daughter. She couldn't wait to see her discover all of these things for herself.

"Come on in," Stephanie said, stepping back and leading the way into the living room. Ella pulled the cart up next to the couch and with Helen's help started to unload the boxes. Then she took the cart and left it out in the hall.

"Stephanie, we hope this is not a bad time," Ella started to say as she pushed her box closer to her. "But we thought that you could use some help getting ready for little Matthias." Ella nodded at the box, "Open it." she said.

Stephanie unfolded the flaps on top of the box, her eyes grew wide when she looked inside. "I was just wondering about what we'd…" she was suddenly speechless and she looked up at Ella. "How did you know?"

Helen helped Ella lift the cradle from the box and they set it up. Stephanie had tears in her eyes as she hugged the two most important women in her life. Stephanie knew better than most people that sometimes words are just not enough, and she knew that they understood how she felt.

Wiping her tears away, a shy smile took their place. She grabbed them both by a hand and dragged them into the bedroom . Stephanie showed them the piles of things that she had been collecting. Much to Stephanie's annoyance, Helen raised an eyebrow. 'If she can do it', Stephanie thought, 'why wasn't it hereditary?' she sighed and then turned her attention back to the boxes and bags on the floor. Helen glanced at the things gathered here. Looking around the room, she noticed the list sitting on the bed. Helen held it up with a questioning look.

"That's from Mary Lou," Stephanie said. Trying to defend her shopping spree. Helen just nodded, as she folded the paper neatly and placed it on the night stand. And without another word, they started tackling the pile. Stephanie appreciated her two helpers, and between the three of them, she was able to organize everything. She kept out what she needed now, and put the rest away for a later time. She deliberately did not mention that she had been putting things in the SUV too. 'One thing at a time' she told herself.

Before the afternoon was over, the ladies had rearranged the bedroom to accommodate the cradle and changing table. Stephanie was not going to mention the obviously huge empty space that they had left near the window. She knew that it would be the perfect place for a rocking chair, and decided that as soon as they were done here, that she would go out and find one that she liked. Both Helen and Ella noticed that her eyes kept going back to that space, they exchanged a secret smile and kept on with their work.

It was when they started stocking the shelves and drawers with the tiny sleepers, and clothes, and blankets and bibs, that Stephanie started to tear up again. She sat down on the bed and took the photo out of her pocket. She missed her husband. And no, she would never get tired of calling him that!

Her eyes lingered for a moment on his handsome face and that incredible smile. Then she let them focus on that small little hand. She couldn't wait to see Mat. She still felt a mixture of fear and excitement about becoming a mom overnight. But the longer she had to wait, the more she wanted to hold him in her arms.

Helen sat next to her and placed her arm around her shoulders. She squeezed gently and Stephanie looked up. "They will be home soon," Helen said. "And everything will be alright."

A noise in the hallway drew their attention. Ella looked up, and then looked at Stephanie, and then she left the room. A few minutes later she came back and stopped in the doorway, Helen and Stephanie were looking at her.

"Um, Stephanie, there is someone here to see you," she said with a smile as she glanced down the hall and then she moved out of the way so that Frank could walk in.

"Pumpkin!" he said when she jumped up and ran to him. He pulled her into a big hug. "How's my girl" he said as he put her down and pulled back. Taking an exaggerated look around the room, he winked at his wife. "Looks like something is missing in here," he said, Stephanie just looked at him. At them. A curious look on her face.

Louis came in then, carrying a beautiful rocking chair. The dark wood was hand carved with graceful curves. The high back and the wide seat both had built in cushions featuring the most amazing needlepoint work that Stephanie had ever seen. Louis set the chair down in that perfect spot that had been waiting just for it.

Ella slipped her arm through his when he was done. "Gracias mi amor," she whispered as she kissed his cheek. It had been his suggestion to go pick the chair up in his truck, since the Plums had no way of getting it here. He gave her an indulgent smile that said 'your wish is my command' but she knew better. He was as excited to help Stephanie and Ranger welcome a new baby as she was. And she loved him for it!

"Oh!," Stephanie managed to say. "It's beautiful!" her fingers reverently traced a design in the back cushion, as she looked up at her parents.

"It's Mamcsi's work," Helen said quietly, referring to her mother's mother. "We had the rocking chairs made to go with her needlework that grandma has been saving for years," she said. "We wanted it to be a surprise."

Stephanie nodded. Tears were in her eyes, not allowing her to speak. She just looked around the room and she knew that she was surrounded by people that loved her, that she could count on. In that moment she knew how truly lucky she was. Someday, Mat would know it too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Somewhere in Washington DC, in a large nondescript building, florescent lights dully reflected on the surface of the highly polished table set in the center of the conference room. Framed portraits of the Secretaries of Agriculture hung on the paneled walls, evenly spaced as they circled the room. Tom Dutton sat quietly at the end of the long conference table, carefully, but comfortably situated in one of the padded leather chairs .

Representatives from several unidentified government agencies were seated around the room. All of them had short haircuts, and wore black suits with appropriately conservative ties. Tom looked down at his own attire. Under the navy blue terry cloth robe, he only wore a flimsy hospital gown, and on his feet were a pair of cloth slippers. He had spent the past several days in and out of consciousness, and he only hoped that these serious looking men would get the information that they needed quickly so that he and Brian could be returned to the business of recovering. They needed to heal so that they could get back to their work.

Tom was silent while his partner took the stage. Brian Taylor was not just a good scientist, he was a pretty good actor too. Dressed similarly to Tom, Brian had managed to project an aire of importance and dignity. Right now he was telling the harrowing tale of their captivity by the drug cartels. He did not leave out even the smallest of details. In an almost tolerant manner, he nodded at the men as they met his eyes, or as they looked up from the notes they had scribbled in their uniform looking notebooks. Tom did not mind that all the attention was on Brian. He was really doing quite an admirable job, all things considered.

So good, in fact, that Tom was able to sit back and let his mind wander a little bit. He entertained himself by playing the 'how did this all start' game. Like dropping a pebble in a pond, the ripples of a single event can circle on and on. No one knows just how far they will go. He tried to keep the smile off of his face as he contemplated just what the pebble had been that had started everything in motion in his life.

Details popped in his mind and he looked them all over, dismissing most of them. There were many important events that had happened over the years. But as he narrowed it down, the last ten years of his life had started with the big blue ribbon that he had won in his third grade science fair.

For just a moment Tom closed his eyes and remembered a single moment out of time. His parents stood next to him as the principal joined his teacher to award the first place prize for his 'bio sphere' experiment. The picture in the local newspaper had captured the smiling faces of the four adults standing behind the proud young man holding the pleated ribbon. It also showed the object of his experiment. The huge pickle jar that he had used reflected the light from the camera's flash. The star shaped light looked as if it was shining from deep inside the jar. It was a striking photo. His mother still had it in a scrapbook that she had kept for him.

Until ten years ago, Tom had forgotten all about the scrapbook and the years of science experiments that he and his dad had conducted together; Growing beans seeds in CD cases to be able to see and document the whole germination process had been one of their first projects, then there had been ant and worm farms, not to mention several terrariums. The one with carnivorous plants had been his favorite. Together they all led him to the award winning bio-sphere and his face in the newspaper.

In his wildest dreams he never thought that the ripples of his youth would intersect with the new larger circles created by his professional career. He looked up at Brian. His performance was really brilliant, every man in here was nearly spellbound. Poor Brian, he did not know that he was acting a part in the drama unfolding around him. He still had no idea just how big a splash his current research was going to make. Probably soon to be complete with multiple conspiracy theories circling around it.

His musings ended just in time. Finally a question was being directed to him. Tom shyly smiled at the sudden attention. It was the man at the opposite end of the table who wanted to ask him about his personal life. Now it was Tom's turn to act, he dropped any sign of the smile. He knew how these meetings, or should he call them interrogations, usually went. With his face trained in a pleasant, but neutral expression, Tom listened to the way the question was phrased. It was a completely inappropriate thing to ask, but Brian met Tom's eyes and nodded in a show of support.

"Yes," Tom said. "I only knew her for a short time, but yes, I loved Maria." He lowered his eyes. His outward appearance showed a hurt, broken man. So much had happened to Dr Tom Dutton in the past few months, and most of the men in suits now looked very uncomfortable with the way the meeting was going. They knew that he had every reason to be upset. He spoke one more time. It would be the last thing he would say to any of these men. "And no, her baby was not mine."

Both doctors stood and headed to the door. They moved slowly, the effect of the abuse they had received during their captivity was evident. Suddenly the nurses were at their sides, assisting the two men and throwing glares at the suits in the room. They did not appreciate the harsh treatment of their patients.

The act was flawless, but deep inside Tom was seething. He knew exactly why Maria had been brought up. This was all an act for the suits too, a dance choreographed to play out the way they wanted it. How many times had he seen this happen before? The performance by Brian had been genuine, mostly. Tom was glad they had worked so long together, it was easy now to show a united front. Maria had been an outsider, but any attempt to connect her to the cartel was not only ridiculous, it was insulting. They Killed her! After killing her family and practically everyone that she knew, the cartel had killed Maria too. The mask that Tom showed the slick government men did not give them even a glimpse of what really lay beneath. But they would find out soon enough that they should not mess with Dr Tom Dutton.

As soon as he could stand up straight, by himself, he would show them how remarkably focused he could be. Since the moment that he had been brought here, there had only been person that he had talked to that he felt he could trust. And that person was Tank. He knew that Tank had left shortly after their chat together, Tom wondered where he was now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If Tank could earn frequent flyer miles, he would have enough for a free vacation by now. Every once in a while, he got a taste of just how crazy Ranger's life could be. Running a mission of any kind was intense. The fact that Ranger usually took on most of the responsibility and saw it through to the end was one of the reasons that he had always been sought after. But they all knew how exhausting it could be, and no one knew it better than Tank tonight.

Ranger would have taken this quick turnaround trip to DC and back to Ecuador without a second thought. The one reason he did not do it himself this time, was wrapped up in a soft blue blanket and sleeping on the man's shoulder right now. He had to stay here until all the arrangements could be made to take the child home with him. Tank silently entered the room and allowed himself to sink into the cushioned chair. It was late, and the lights were off, but Ranger was waiting for him.

"What have you got?" Ranger quietly asked. He did not move as he spoke, he simply turned his head to look at his second in command. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Tank could now see Ranger more clearly. It was a sight that his friend never thought he would ever see. But he looked perfectly natural with his feet up, slumped slightly in his chair so that the angle of his chest was just right for Mat to sleep on. Add the fact that he had been humming a Spanish lullaby while gently patting the baby's back, gave the impression that he had done it many times before, it all seemed so perfect, and just right.

Tank pushed these thoughts aside for now and focused on the answer to Ranger's question. "We've got the ID. Silvio helped Rodriguez track down the details." He rested his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes, but continued with his report. "You were right, Humelik is up to their eyeballs in debt. They are ready to do just about anything, including going after the big defense contracts," he said, pausing to take a deep breath. "The jokers that got kidnapped had been making the rounds offering the newest and most effective chemical weapons available.

"Are the guys still on it? We have to find out if they were really that close to delivering the products that they had promised," Ranger spoke softly, evenly. But there was no doubt of the seriousness of the situation. He looked at Tank who nodded affirmatively, it was all the answer he needed, so he continued. "What did you find out about the doctors?"

"You were right about them too. Dunne is not what he appears to be, we've hit some walls and you know what that usually means. We'll find out." Tank hesitated. Many things about Tom Dunne remained a mystery, but not everything. "I can tell you that the guy loved Maria. Nothing about that was an act. He is broken up about losing her. He did everything that he could to protect her, before it went FUBAR." Tank turned his head and looked over at Ranger.

They had had this discussion before Tank left for his little trip to DC. Everything about this mission had put all of Ranger's instincts on alert. It was obvious that these four men were not the average innocent bystanders that they were portrayed to be. As far as Ranger was concerned, Maria Sanchez had been the only innocent civilian there. This should not have happened to her. Someone made a mistake and he intended to find out who it was and why.

At that moment, Mat snuggled closer into his neck and Ranger became perfectly still. Maria loved her baby, she should be here with him now. He had read her letters. She had only wanted the best for him. The way she shared the family stories with him, so that he could know her someday, really touched his heart. There had been an almost poetic feel to her writing. A sad tragedy that had been written like a children's story. Innocent and heart breaking in its simplicity. The words still played in his mind.

After a few minutes, Tank finished his report. He stood and turned to walk out the door. "We go into Tiputini tomorrow. If there is anything there, we will find it." Ranger nodded and Tank left him to his thoughts.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In a funny quirk of fate, Jasper Walters had inherited a company that he knew nothing about. His father was a research scientist. It had always been his goal to find the cure for cancer. He never did, but he found so many cures for other ailments, that he and his colleagues founded a company to make medicines to help as many people as they could. It had been created with a truly altruistic purpose, and was very successful for many years.

Jasper never had any interest in the pharmaceutical business. He was the second son of his famous father and the closest he ever got to drugs was when he was injured in any one of the sports that he loved to play. In this respect he knew a lot about the drugs that had helped him. And if any of them had been formulated by his father, it was all the same to him.

So while his brother was being groomed to take over the family business, Jasper was playing. He was a professional soccer player. Taking his love of sports to the highest level possible. Truth be told, he was somewhat of a 'player' too. The consummate bachelor attracted the attention of the ladies everywhere he went. His path seldom crossed with his father or his brother. And he liked it that way.

The day he found out that he was now the president and principle shareholder of Humelik Corp was one that he would never forget. The plane crash that took his parents and his brother as well, was a huge news story. The fiery scene was splashed on the front pages of newspapers all around the world. Jasper discovered the news as he ran through the airport with his team, on their way to their next game.

No matter what responsibility had been dropped in his lap, he was still not interested, he was not qualified and he did not have time to run the company. So he did the only reasonable thing, he found someone to do it for him. Thus preserving the company, his family legacy and his fortune.

Edvard Aslak was eager to take the reins. While his friend had been scoring on and off the field, he had been majoring in business administration. He had worked for three different companies before Jasper begged him to take over the operations at Humelik. It had been a seamless transition and the company thrived for years.

Replacing his father in charge of the research end should have been much more difficult, but all Jasper had needed to do was contact Leo Markus. He and Leo had gone to school together too, and his father was one of the original men on the research team. Leo, like his father had joined the company in the research and development department. His father had retired and Leo had been working there for a few years before the accident happened. Jasper thought it was the perfect fit, he knew the company, the people and of course the research projects. Jasper trusted his friends. Nothing could be better.

It was perfect, for a long time. Jasper went and did what he wanted, showing up at the quarterly meetings with the rest of the shareholders. And his friends helped the company to grow bigger than anyone imagined it would. Everyone was so happy with the way things were going.

Then the economies in countries all around the globe started collapse. People began to buy knock off drugs from Canada. And the competition was more fierce than ever in the pharmaceutical business. His friends did not want to worry Jasper about the devastating effect it all had on Humelik. They took matters into their own hands. And started looking for ways to build up the business again. They found it. In the form of a research paper by one Doctor Brian Taylor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	7. Chapter 7

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Discovery

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Tank returned home with the team, he had some specific things that needed to be done immediately. The first things on the list he could delegate to others. And he did. The most important thing that Tank needed to do was to talk to the woman who was standing there watching them all walk out of the elevator. He hurried toward her, he had a message from Ranger to deliver to her, an excited smile was growing across his face. And then she fainted. He was just close enough to catch her on her way down. Rushing her down to Bobby, he was panicking. Ranger was expecting to talk to her, right now. He had it all planned out. How was he going to explain this?

Even before Tank made to his office, Bobby was informed about the incident. He knew exactly what this was all about. He had seen Stephanie earlier, he talked with her in the break room. She had asked about the assignment, hoping that someone would know something that they could tell her. She was so anxious, he tried to be calm as he told her that they did not have any details to share with her. He knew that she was worried about Ranger, maybe more so than he would have expected, but they all worried about the teams when they were gone on the missions. He figured that it could be the same for Stephanie.

Tank had laid her down on the examination table. Bobby smoothed her hair back, out of her face. The shock should wear off soon. He propped her feet up and checked her pulse. And when her eyes fluttered open, he smiled at her. She did not return the gesture. There was still some panic in her eyes.

He wanted to keep her lying down for a few minutes more, but she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. So rather than see another fainting episode from letting her get up too fast, he slowly helped her to sit up, but he wouldn't let her leave. Handing her a bottle of water, he encouraged her to sip from it, and he tried to ask her some questions. She accepted the water, but she was silent. He understood. With an arm around her shoulders, he spoke softly, words to calm her, reassure her.

Tank walked back into the room. Stephanie stiffened and tried to avoid looking at him, Bobby felt so sorry for her. He was about to say something when Tank shoved a phone into her hands. Realizing that it was personal, he started to move away, but he didn't go too far, he still wanted to keep an eye on her.

It seemed that Tank was also hovering nearby. Just as Bobby was going to say something to him, Tank stepped up to Stephanie and handed her a photograph. The moment she saw what it was, her face lit up and in her excitement she tried to grab it with both of her hands, dropping the phone and then frantically grabbing it up again whispering "Don't hang up, don't hang up!"

Thankfully the call had not disconnected. Bobby looked up to see Tank's reaction, but the big man was heading out the door again. What was going on? All he could do is sit and try not to eavesdrop on the conversation between Stephanie and Ranger. Everyone was acting strange around here, and he wondered what was going to happen next. He only had to wait a few minutes to find the answer to that question, as he saw Tank coming back through the door.

Apparently, Stephanie had not seen him leave and was confused to see that he was gone, but when he strode across the room to hand her a small box, he thought that she was going to burst into tears. And just when he thought that nothing could get any stranger, a priest walked into the room. With Bobby pulled up to stand on her left, and Tank standing on her right, Stephanie looked at the priest and said 'I Do' with the phone still up to her ear. Somebody was going to owe him an explanation soon, he thought as he signed his name to the witness line on the paper the priest handed to him.

Tank was relieved. Ranger and Stephanie were meant to be together. Hadn't he been trying to tell his friend that very thing for years now? But never had he imagined that he would be standing as best man for Ranger and a bridesmaid for Stephanie while standing in the middle of Bobby's office. When it was over, he hugged her and shrugged his shoulders as he made his way back to his office. He knew a couple of days ago, when Ranger asked him to take that picture of him and the baby, that something big was about to happen. He was right!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On account of the situation with the baby, none of the members of the team were required to go straight to DC for the debriefing. The powers that be had the doctors there, and had even arranged for the two business men to make an appearance. So they would not be missed until Ranger was able to get home.

This gave them a chance to unravel a few mysteries before they had to hand over the information that they had gathered. Hal and Cal worked with Woody sorting and cataloging the items found on the rescue site and in the huts. It was easy to separate everything into four categories. Cartel personnel. Humelik, doctors, and Maria. What these items had to tell them would take time to see.

Apparently, only a few members of the drug cartel stayed at the kidnapping site, as evidenced by the lack of personal items that were found. The detainees were in such bad condition for so much of the time, there had been no great need to guard them. On the night of the raid, a total of nine guards were found. None of them had any identification with them, and none wore any jewelry. There ended up being a pile of chewing gum, cigarettes, and bic lighters to show for the guards. Mostly Ranger's men just gathered up the weapons they found everywhere.

Surprisingly, all of the 'prisoners' had all of their personal effects still with them. The men had their wallets in their pockets and Maria's bag was found hidden in the corner of her hut. Not much else could have been taken during the abduction, there had probably been no time, and no opportunity to grab anything at all. They were able to verify every ID satisfactorily, with the exception of Dr Dunne's. something about his information felt too generic. They would keep looking into him.

As Hal had found out, the most interesting things to find were in the hut with Maria. Ranger still had the letters that he had shown him while they were in Ecuador. She also seemed to have been able to carry quite a varied assortment of things in her bag. In fact, it looked like she kept all of her most prized possessions with her at all times. Wedding rings and antique looking gold jewelry was tucked into pouch that had been hand sewn into the lining of the bag. A narrow wooden box tied with leather strips acted as her savings account, it was packed full of money, mostly bills of various denominations. Another pouch held hair clips, and barrettes. They were made of different materials; exquisite carved wood, finely worked metal and even one that looked like delicate ivory. It was agreed, however, that the most valuable thing of all was the carefully prepared collection of letters to her son.

While they were putting this picture together, Silvio and Rodriguez worked to find connections between the doctors and the men from Humelik. At least that was the angle that they started out with. It was only a matter of time before they started to see things a lot differently. Especially when they dug deeper into Dr Dunne's information.

Gene was called up to help Lester figure out what they could from the contents of the locker from the lab. With his degree in science, Gene was a great help to explain what clues they could find in the notes. Dr Taylor was meticulous about keeping records. They would have expected the same from Dr Dutton, but everything associated with his work seemed to be coded. That seemed more than a little bit strange. Well, strange for a scientist. It was something that the guys were very familiar with, and this piece of the puzzle just didn't seem to fit.

The first thing that Gene did was put all of the work in chronological order. There was always a reason that scientists came to their conclusions, and it was easy to understand if you could see it in context. For hours Gene looked over the notes, arranging them and making some copious notes of his own.

He found that he had a great appreciation for the work that Brian Taylor had been researching all his life. Most if his focus had been on environmental impact and improvements, so when he saw the newest direction that his research had taken, Gene could understand the interest that had been gathering.

It had been spelled out in a research paper that he had submitted to a scientific journal. A copy of that paper was in one of the books they had recovered. Gene looked it up, it had never been published in its entirety, but he was able to find another reference to it in a piece by his partner Tom Dutton. That article had been published three years ago, around the time that Humelik became interested in the partners.

Gene could see that they were working out the details on a few very interesting theories. The applications of which could alter the medical profession. The problems seemed to be the calculations, something was not adding up, and as much as Gene wanted to follow the numbers and figure it out, he was at a dead end. Where all of his other research had been neat and precise, Dr Taylor's most recent notes were scattered and incomplete. It was frustrating.

The whole team wanted to get as many answers as they could before Ranger got back. They had to, because the moment he was stateside, they would have to go in and turn over everything that they had. This was their chance to keep potentially problematic information out of the hands of bureaucrats who had no business playing games with information hard won by a few brilliant scientists.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

From the minute that Ranger signed the last of the paperwork, he could not wait to get home. It had been two days since he sent the rest of the team home. Now he and Mat had to wait for the next flight out in the morning. It was all he could do not to go crazy without Stephanie by his side. When she agreed to marry him, his whole world opened up for him. In that moment he knew a joy so pure, so deep it filled his soul! The only thing that could make him feel happier than he had in that moment, will be the moment she is back in his arms again. He ached inside to be with her.

Once again, he found himself looking out of the window from the darkened room. Mat was in his arms, and he held him close as he looked up at the stars. This time tomorrow, he would be home with Stephanie in their home. With Matthais. What was Stephanie going to think of all of this? He had asked her to become a wife, and a mother all at the same time. He still wondered if that was fair of him to do. He knew that they wanted to be together. He knew that she had an incredible capacity to love. It felt like the right thing to do at the time. He still felt that way. But he was a realist. He knew that extreme situations affected people in different ways. He was anxious to get back home, to see the look on her face when he saw her for the first time as his wife! That would tell him what he needed to know.

He owed her so much, ever since that first meeting in the café, she had done something to him. She had awakened his own ability to love again. She did not know that, he had not even realized it until very recently. But he knew, now, that Stephanie had saved him. Without her, he would never have known that he could care, that he could love! That his life was more than duty and responsibility. A part of him, somewhere deep inside had responded to her, yearned for what she could help him to be.

Mat sighed in his sleep, a contented sound. It made ranger lips turn up into a satisfied smile. From the moment he saw the baby, Ranger had felt such a strong connection. How do you explain something like that? He just knew. It was more than just the need to protect him. He would have done that no matter what. No, this feeling was so much deeper. Like he belonged with him. He recognized those feeling immediately. It was very similar to what he felt for Stephanie.

He had felt those feelings from the first time they met. It had just taken him a long time to admit to what those feelings were all about. He had spent so many years protecting himself from having connections with people. Not because he did not want relationships. But because he truly believed that there were things about his life that would be too dangerous to anyone who got close to him. He had always been about protecting everyone. Protecting them from the evil in the world and protecting them from him too.

That was why his feelings for Stephanie scared him. He couldn't let her into his life, because he knew that with the way he felt, it would kill him if anything happened to her. He couldn't protect her, so he decided to protect himself, from that kind of hurt. By the time he realized that he was hurting himself more by pushing her away, he had almost lost her. And that hurt more than anything he had ever experienced and he knew that he couldn't go on being the one hurting himself, hurting her. He couldn't do that anymore. He had to let her into his life. He had to let her save him. And she had.

He wondered what Stephanie was feeling right now. When they had spoken on the phone a few hours ago, the breathlessness of her voice told him that she loved him, that she did not regret their crazy impromptu wedding. That she really did want to be with him as much as he wanted her. There were not words in any language to describe how that made him feel.

While he was staring in the night sky, with all of these thought swirling around his head, Mat started fussing. Ranger moved to the comfortable wicker chair. He looked down at the small child. He was hungry. No surprise. This little man had been eating like a champ. The nurse who had been here watching him every day had been very pleased. Ranger almost took it as a personal compliment that his boy had been improving steadily day by day. Truthfully, he could take some of the credit, he never left Mat's side if he didn't have to. He was, in every sense, his caretaker. Much to the delight of all of the women in the building. There is nothing quite as sexy as a strong man carefully taking care of an infant. Of course Ranger had not noticed any of the admiration directed his way. His only focus was on Mat and getting home to Stephanie.

They were ready now. The paper work was finished, and Mat had has his final checkup. When Ranger had brought in the agency doctor and his nurse when they got here, he wanted to make sure Mat was healthy. He was as surprised as Dr Santiago had been that there had been no complications, considering the situation and with the weakened condition of the baby when he was found.

In the hut, conditions had been less than ideal for his birth. They all knew that. But Maria had done her best, all on her own to keep him clean and safe. She had done absolutely everything in her power to care for her baby. It still tugged at his heart that she knew that she had to leave him. She gave him all that she had. That was her legacy. Mat had survived, he was a little fighter. Ranger stayed by his side and watched him closely, he was so proud of his incredible spirit. It was his charge now to care for him, to love him, but he would make sure that Mat knew about his mother, and her love for him.

Now he was taking Mat home, to a place where there would be people who loved him everywhere he looked. The hungry little boy was working on emptying another bottle. Ranger watched him in wonder. He had not had this experience with Julie. So much had changed in his life since then. That thought brought a sudden smile to his face. Stephanie was in his life now. Everything had changed!

The smile remained as he let himself remember the conference call that he and Stephanie had made after their 'wedding'. Both sets of parents, and Julie had all been on that call. Together he and Stephanie had announced not only that they were married, but that they were a family with Mat. As he knew they would, the parents first expressed their shock, and then their congratulations to the new couple, the new family. It was Julie that Ranger had worried most about. How would she feel about having a little brother suddenly pushed into her life? It was with some regret that he was not able to be with her personally to make this announcement. They had been building a relationship over the past year, would this change that?

Mat was with them on the call, snuggled up by Rangers neck. Julie had squealed when she found out that he and Stephanie were married, but she had been quiet since then. Was she upset about Mat? It was not until the little boy had made himself heard that Ranger had his answer.

He could hear her intake of breath. "Oh," Julie said softly. "Is that him?" Her voice was full of that same awe that he had heard in Stephanie's voice that first time that she had listened to Mat's gentle sighs. Ranger was hopeful.

"Yes," he answered, "That is Mat, he had been on the call with us." He heard several of the people on the line take in a breath to say something, but Julie beat them all to it.

"Hey Mat!" she said with whispered excitement. "This is Julie, I'm your sister." Ranger's eyes filled with tears, so did Stephanie's. Neither one had been capable of saying a single word just then, but that was okay, because Julie kept talking. "I can't wait to meet you, little guy'" she said. Then in Spanish she told him that she was going to be the best big sister that he could ever hope for. "You came to the right place kiddo," she teased the now sleeping baby. "We all love you already!" If Ranger had been speechless before, the lump in his throat now left him almost weak with relief and such a sense of pride in his daughter.

"Dad," Julie suddenly said. "What does he look like?"

Again there was a sense of anticipation from everyone on the call. Ranger could not be happier about their response. Stephanie particularly was listening closely. She had never asked that question. It would not matter in the end. But she suddenly found that she was just as curios as Julie.

"He looks a lot like you did when you were born querida," he said. Julie giggled. "He has darker skin, more like mine," he continued. "And he has a whole head of black hair that sticks out all over the place after he has been asleep." Sighs and ohs were heard during his description of the adorable little boy. "His eyes are big and very dark right now. And his eyelashes are long and dark, just like yours Jules," he told her. Then in mock seriousness he said, "He has ten toes and ten fingers, I counted them to be sure!" Finally he was very serious. "He is beautiful Jules, and he needs a sister like you!"

He could hear her swallow some tears. Softly she answered, "I can't wait to see him, Dad!" Everyone on the line understood how important that statement had been to Ranger. Silently they all added the same sentiments.

"We will get you up here to see him soon Julie," Stephanie said. And the realization that she was not only getting an instant family with Mat, but that Julie was going to want to be a big part of it too just made her heart burst with happiness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Brian Taylor had mixed feelings about being back in the jungle as he and his partner Tom Dutton pulled up in front of the lab. He was relieved to see that the building was still standing. From the questions he had been asked, and from random comments that he had heard, he was afraid that it had been destroyed in the attack.

As the two men got out of the car, they were greeted by the familiar sounds. Overhead hundreds of birds were calling to each other. Brian could immediately identify many of them, and he smiled. His birds were happy to see him.

Neither of the men were very strong yet. And the doctors in DC had objected strongly to letting them go so quickly. If they had their way, they would still be under medical care for another two weeks. That was entirely too long. Tom knew he had a job to do. And Brian was anxious to find out what had happened to his notes. Time was of the essence for both of them. Tom walked directly to the front door. As soon as it was opened he headed straight to the lab. He did not look at the spot in the front hallway that should have shown the stain of the blood from the officers. He did not check the office. The fact that everything had been cleaned up as if nothing at all had happened only slightly disturbed him. He had only one thing in his mind.

He and Brian had talked about this. Brian had very real fears about his research notes. Tom had finally shared his own fears. The research that they had been working on for the past several years had brought some interesting things to light. In the scientific community, they were of interest for their contribution to the continuous quest for knowledge. But as Brian had already supposed from the reaction of the Humelik people, this information could also be used to create something new. Something that both he and Tom could not allow to happen.

Brian followed closely behind Tom, they ended up standing in front of the metal locker. Slowly, as if he did not know what to expect, Tom opened the door. The locker was empty. He took a deep breath. there was no sign that anyone had been here, but his instincts told him not to trust anything.

The moment the false back was removed, they knew that someone had been here. Tom closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cool metal. Brian stepped back slumped against the counter.

"What are we going to do?" Brian asked. He had hated to have to tell Tom about his suspicions that the very company that had funded their research was trying to steal it and use it for their own purposes. He felt a bit thick for not seeing it before, and was ready to start mentally beating himself up about it when Tom spoke. Brian looked up at him, not quite comprehending what he was saying at first.

"We need to contact the men who found us, who took us out of the jungle," Tom was saying. "They will know how to help us." He had said this as a matter of trust. At this moment in time, Tank was the only person that Tom felt they could go to. The only one that he could trust. He might have to call some of his contacts to find out how to get a hold of Tank. Tom really hated to do that, it always made things more complicated. He stepped back and leaned against the counter with Brian as he thought of the best thing to do. Both men looked into the empty locker. Brian was shaking his head.

Suddenly Tom remembered something that Tank had said to him during his brief visit. 'Things are seldom what they appear to be.' It had seemed like a strange thing to say at the time. But now, somehow, it made perfect sense. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of Tic Tacs. The one that Tank had given him. He shook it, absently wondering if it could be the answer that he was looking for. Brian was looking at him, annoyed at the sound. He declined when Tom offered to give him a tiny mint. And Brian was still staring at him as he turned the small plastic container over and over in his hands. Looking for something, but what?

Tom closed his eyes again, hanging his head down on his chest. He was tired. They were both tired, neither of them had recovered from their ordeal. Maybe I am over thinking this, he thought. His thumb smoothed over hard plastic. It got caught on the folded up edge of the label. He looked down at the Tic Tacs again. His mind was nearly numb from travel fatigue, but he made himself think. "What if…" he whispered. He looked at Brian. His hands started moving almost of their own volition. The label peeled off easily. Tom carefully removed it and looked at underneath. A phone number. He knew exactly what it was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	8. Chapter 8

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Susan stood in the room that they had come to know as the nursery. Just as she had been in charge of setting it up. She was also here to see that the room was returned to its original use. It was going to make her sad to see everything go. Not only had she taken pride in the way she had been able to outfit the room, there had been a special feeling here that she was really going to miss.

The late morning light angled in through the slats of the blinds on the windows, creating a striped pattern on the area rug that she had brought in from her own apartment to soften the sterile tile floor. She would be taking it back home tomorrow, and she already knew that she would think about this sweet little boy every time that she saw it.

The nurse, Caridad Rozas was seated in the large wicker chair by the window. In her arms was the small child that had captured the attention and the hearts of everyone who worked in the building. They were all going to have a hard time saying goodbye to the two men that had come to mean so much to them. Even the most hardened soldier here found it hard not to be touched by Captain Manoso's story of finding and rescuing an infant in the middle of the jungle. Everyone was better for having been involved in the drama that played out while Ranger fought to gain custody of this child who was all alone in the world.

In a rare moment that Ranger was not here, his presence was missed. The women looked at each other, they understood the feeling that they shared. Sometimes things happen that alter the way you see life. This had happened here, and they were both glad to have been a part of it. After tomorrow, there would probably not be any opportunity for them to ever meet again, but they would never forget the bond that had been made as they helped take care of this special child and his adopted father.

As a sunset of sherbet colors melted down over the horizon, the party was just getting started. In honor of their guests, everyone gathered to say goodbye. This was a first for Ranger. Usually he and his men would do everything that they could not to interfere or even have contact with the local military personnel if they did not have to. Of course finding Mat changed everything about this mission. He had kept the baby with him as much as possible while he was in the building, and the two of them had come to know many of the people who worked here. All of them were here tonight, and they all truly seemed sorry to see them go.

Jack had been one of the first ones to see Ranger and Mat when they got here. He had been outside at the gate. With the tropical storm that had just dumped rain on them, he had not been all that excited to be there. But the moment he saw Mat, only wrapped in just a thin cotton covering, he had ducked into his truck and pulled his shemagh scarf from his gear. He looked at Ranger, for permission, and then wrapped it around the sleeping child to keep the rain off of him. The khaki green and white scarf became a favorite blanket for Mat. It had brought a smile out of nearly everyone who saw him wrapped in it. Ranger had it with him tonight too. He had intended to return it, but Jack shook his head, and while looking at Mat, he said, "You keep it big guy, you have already gotten a lot more use out of it than I ever did." Ranger nodded his head in acknowledgment and thanks.

So it went all during the party. Mike snapped a paracord bracelet around Mats tiny ankle. "Don't forget me," he told Mat with a smile. Kevin said almost the same thing when he handed him a carabiner with a small toy hooked on it. Susan gave him a Ranger's pace counter. It was new, still in its package. Ranger looked at her curiously. She shrugged, and said, "My husband was a Ranger." She saw his surprised look, and smiled warmly. "He won't miss it, and it will make a great teething ring in a few months."

When Ranger and Mat settled down for their last night here, he was amazed at the impact that his little boy was having on everyone that met him. Yes, he realized that his circumstances were unusual, but there seemed to be something more to his appeal. All week long he had been noticing it, and now it finally occurred to him what it was. In the dark he smiled. Mat was just like Stephanie. He was only two weeks old, but he had already shown that he has a remarkable capacity to love. That is what everyone had responded to! It was going to be amazing to get Stephanie and Mat together! With that thought in his mind, he finally fell asleep, a trace of the smile still on his lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

From his second story balcony, Juan Arquilla could see most of his plantation. His property as well as his organization had grown rapidly over the past few years. Leaning both hands on the wide stone railing, he gazed out over his domain. A smug look covered his face. His decision to leave his former bosses had been the right one. The money here was good, he had more than he had ever imagined, and far more than he had ever made as part of the cartel in Columbia. But he was still not satisfied.

Money was only one of the things that he craved. What he really wanted was respect. He had not had any in his own country, which is why he had moved south, into Ecuador. Ever since he'd left, he had wanted to build up his business not only to show those overbearing tyrants in Columbia what he could do on his own, he wanted to be big enough and rich enough that he would be recognized as the man that he had become, and all that he was.

And what was he? Juan would describe himself as driven, powerful, enigmatic. He was all of those things, and more. Much more. All you had to do was talk to the people who knew him, they could tell you exactly what he was.

If you were to ask the men who worked for him, they would tell you, anonymously of course, that he was cold and cruel. His ego was so big that everyone gave him a ten meter clearance at all times. They hated him, but they also feared him. And worst of all they were dependent on him to make their living.

The opinions of the people in the villages that he now controlled were even lower. They considered him a monster, a murderer and an incarnate of the devil himself. But Juan was ready to disregard and completely ignore those who were so far beneath him. He did not need to impress them, and their respect would mean nothing to him. No, he craved the recognition and admiration only of the powerful and influential men in high places like the government offices, or the other cartels. And he was determined to get it.

That was why he was always looking to expand his operations, and that was why he would not tolerate the interference of large drug companies who would move in to do their "research" here. He did not trust them and he knew that there were limited resources in every area. He was unwilling to share them. Moving their operations here messed up his system. Twice now, he had forcibly removed other pharmaceutical companies from this part of the jungle. He would do the same to Humelik.

The labs had been finished less than a couple of months when Arquilla had his men attack. Their instructions were to destroy the place. To make them an example to any future company thinking to make their move into his territory. They set out prepared to follow his instructions, but immediately after the attack began, his men knew that they were in trouble.

It was Juan's own fault. He had created such problems with the last two companies, that this time, Humelik took no chances. They included police protection as part of the contract that they were required to make with the government in order to set up their labs here. As a result, constant surveillance was assigned to the general area of their building. The police were practically on site when the Arquilla's men drove up in their trucks. The police moved in immediately. Half of the men had been detained before they made it anywhere close to the building. The rest of them panicked and took matters into their own hands.

No one wanted the boss to be angry at them. So a new plan was formed. They would take hostages to insure that they had a secure way out of there. If they demanded a ransom, they would have something to pacify him with, and maybe they would come out of this screwed up mess in his good graces.

That was not, however, how it turned out. Arquilla was livid. He was angry at Humelik for being there in the first place, and at the police for being bold enough to try to defy him. He owned half of them, damn it! There should not have been any interference with his plans. He was angry at his men. At the ones who got themselves arrested, and at the ones who thought that they were paid to think.

He took out his anger on them, and in turn, they took their anger out on the kidnapped victims. And now they were stuck with them. Until they were told what they were to do with them, they had to babysit them. This was not what they had planned. This is not what they wanted. So they constantly took their frustrations out by beating the men. And they avoided the authorities by moving them from one abandoned camp to another. Many of these men were familiar with the huts that were built as a temporary shelter for harvesters that moved from one crop to the next. These camps were mostly built up in the heavy jungle areas because no one owned them, and they would not have to worry about being kicked out.

If he had taken the time to see the merits of the spur of the moment decision, Juan would have been impressed. But of course, these men were not as smart as he was. How could he care about any of their ideas? Instead, he ignored the situation and never gave them any instructions on what he wanted them to do.

So, for two months they took turns coming out to guard whichever camp they were using. And they tried to keep the men incapacitated so that they could not fight back. No one was happy about the situation. But they all played their parts the best that they could. Hoping it would, but unsure of how it could all end.

Although Arquilla was contacted to negotiate the release of the hostages, he would not talk to anyone. He was arrogant enough to think that he could call the shots and show them all who they were dealing with. Unfortunately he did not count on Rangers's team coming in to rescue them.

When everyone found out about his botched plans to destroy the lab, and the careless way the hostage situation was treated, he was made to look like a fool. In front of his own men, to the other cartels, and to the local government and military that he was supposed to control. None of this settled well with Arquilla. His control was slowly slipping away from him. He hated that feeling, and it had only just begun. For days, after the rescue became widely known, he was dealing with problems that had never come up before. From complaints about his product or their delivery, to arguments among the men. The only thing that did not change, was the distance that everyone kept from him.

Late one night, Juan woke suddenly. Sitting up in his bed, searching for the gun he kept under his pillow. As he allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he listened for any clues to what had wakened him from his sleep. Crickets chirped in the grounds outside. At the window, the gauzy curtains rustled gently in the soft breeze. Night birds called to each other high in the trees. Nothing alerted him to the danger that was creeping closer to him.

He rose and walked out onto the balcony. Again, he listened closely. And again he heard nothing unusual. But when a break in the slowly moving clouds revealed the light of full moon beyond it, he could see that something was not right. Some objects were arranged on the expansive lawns behind the house. He could see their reflections shining in the moonlight.

Juan squinted at the sight, confused and curious. Just as he saw that they were in the form of a star, they started lighting up, one by one, until the glowing objects outlined the star he had seen. But they did not stop there, the star had a tail and it led straight into the house. Juan gasped as he watched its progress.

"No, not in my house," he screamed. Turning to alert the guards, the house staff and whoever else he could find, he ran through his room. But before he reached the door, he felt as well as heard the explosion downstairs. It made his stomach clench, and he froze on the spot. 'What was going on here?' His mind seemed to slow down, he could not comprehend what was happening. Or why. Finally he made himself move, he jerkily ran to the door and threw it open.

Smoke engulfed him, and the heat of the inferno downstairs pushed him back. Tears filled his stinging eyes and coughs wracked his lungs trying to expel the acrid smoke. Slamming the door, he looked frantically around the room. He was trapped, the only way out of here through the open doors of the balcony. By the time he reached them, the flames from below shot up past the balustrade, lighting up the night sky with an orange glow. Juan ventured forward, and inched along the windows facing the balcony. If he could only make it to the end, he could climb down the trellis and away from the fire.

He had been concentrating so hard on reaching his goal, he almost missed something in rising in the air. Voices! Oh, he was so glad. Someone had seen the blaze and had come to make sure he was safe. He moved even more quickly, trying to reach a spot where he could look out over the flames. The voices grew louder. Over the crackle of the flames, he could just start to make out some of the words.

"Estrellita?" he repeated in a whisper. That did not make any sense.

"Familia" "Luchando" What was the meaning of this. It almost sounded like someone was singing. As Juan grew closer, he reached out his hand. He could almost touch the trellis, just a few more inches. "Justicia" Another word made it through the pounding in his head.

"Stop," he screamed, doubling over and coughing from the effort. He pushed everything from his mind as he swung his leg over and started to climb down the unstable lattice. Halfway down, the words came at him again. He could hear it more clearly now. It _was_ singing. He jerked his head around, many voices were singing. Through the smoke, he could see that there was a large group of people gathering next to the burning star on the grass. Who was here? What were they doing? They just stood close together and watched him. His house was going up in flames, why was no one attempting to help him? He was enraged. He scowled at them, he wanted to order them to save him, save his house. But he could not breathe.

Soon the smoke overwhelmed him, he could not see, could not take a breath. He held on tight to the thin slats of wood, and tried to find another foothold to lower himself down to the ground, but the delicate structure could not hold him and the wood splintered, sending him down into the flames he had not even seen.

The crowd moved slowly away, and disappeared as easily as they had come. The melody of the song they had been singing lingered in the air, and rose up in a tribute to all the men, women and children who had been hurt by Juan Arquilla. It would do nothing to ease their pain, or their loss. But this night would keep others from being touched by his evil. Not one single word was spoken about Arquilla. He was no longer.

Cabo Estrellita. Family. Resistance. Justice. Hope. Memories. These words lived on in the hearts of the many who came tonight to see that their loved ones did not suffer in vain. It was everything and it was not nearly enough.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After the farewell they were given last night, Ranger did not expect to see many people up this early. While Mat was still asleep, he was quietly putting together the last minute preparations for their trip home. A large black canvas bag was sitting on the table next to the changing pad. Yesterday, Susan had helped Ranger pack all the things that he would need for Mat during their flight home. Last night when he went to pack the meaningful gifts that Mat had received, he noticed that someone had added something to the bag. He smiled as he realized that it was the crocheted baby blanket that he had seen Caridad working on during her stay here with them. It reminded him again, just how much his little Mat had touched the lives of everyone he met.

Susan appeared in the doorway. "All set?" she asked. Ranger nodded. "The plane will be ready to depart at 07:00," she said as she bent to pick up one of the black bags by the door.

"Um, Susan," Ranger said tentatively. She looked up at him. Seeing the look on his face she stood up from her bent position and waited.

"I don't know how to ask," he began. "I don't mean to intrude," he seemed so nervous, and she lifted an eyebrow in question.

He made an inclusive gesture with his hand, taking in the whole room, keeping eye contact with her. "All of this will have to be removed." He said. She nodded. Yes, she knew that, it would be her job to do it. "It is great stuff, you did a really nice job setting this up for us." There was a thanks in that statement and she knew it. Again she nodded. But she wasn't expecting what he said next. "I don't know if, I mean, would you be able to use any of it?" he swallowed, and kept trying to make himself understood. "I…we, would like you to have it if you can use it."

Finally she realized that he was not sure if she was planning on having any kids. A valid question for a woman her age in the military. She smiled, easing his discomfort a bit. Then it occurred to her, the expense account she had been given had seemed very generous to buy everything on the list she had to work with. It had been his money, he had put this room together for this little boy that he did not even know, was not yet related to. He had wanted everything to be right for Mat. He was going to make a great dad, she thought as she looked at him in wonder. And now he was offering it all to her.

He mistook her hesitation, "If you don't want.." he started, but she reached out and laid her hand on his arm.

"It's perfect," she said. "I would be honored to have these things for my own future nursery." "Thank you." He nodded, relieved. And then he smiled, she was going to make a great mom someday.

This was the first time he had traveled in a military plane with an infant. His two worlds collided with stark reality. Some thoughts that had been hovering at the back of his mind now presented themselves for his careful consideration. Before he had left on this mission, his relationship with Stephanie had been on his mind. He wanted to be with her and he knew that would mean that he would not want to leave her for any more of these assignments. It was something that he had intended to talk to her about. Now that Mat was part of his life, there was nothing to discuss. He would inform everyone at the debriefing that this had been his last mission.

He was not about to willingly walk into a dangerous situation ever again. He would not put them through that. He knew how much Stephanie always worried about him when he was gone. He couldn't do that to her anymore. He expected this to be a hard choice to make. After all, this had been a huge part of his life, of what he was for so long. But he felt the weight of the decision lift easily, he was done. Period. And there was not anything more to say. He had never been happier.

In a conversational voice, shouted over the roar of the engines, the pilot announced their descent into the Newark airport in T-minus ten minutes. Ranger felt his heart start to pump faster. Stephanie was there, waiting for him and he couldn't wait to see her, to hold her.

Mat stirred in his arms. He had napped the whole way, and now he would be awake to see Stephanie. He was so glad, for reasons that he had not even thought of, it just felt right that Mat was excited to see his new family. His new mom. The enormity of this situation kept hitting Ranger. Was he ready? He had made Stephanie a mom. Was she ready? He took a deep breath, they would know in just a few minutes.

As the plane landed, he could feel the tingle up his back. Stephanie was here. He loved the personal radar that was on alert every time she was near. Ranger took another deep breath. Mat looked up at him. "This is it buddy," he said. He smoothed his hand over Mat's head, trying to tame the hair that got so messed up while he was sleeping. Mat's little sigh stopped his hand in mid motion. He was happy, content. That was his way of saying that he knew that everything was right in his world. Some of Ranger's nervousness left him. Mat was right, everything was going to be alright.

The touchdown was smooth and flawless. Ranger gave the pilot a smile. They taxied over to the tarmac, minutes seemed to take an eternity. As soon as they slowed to a stop, Ranger stood and positioned himself in front of the door. Anxiously he waited for the guys to finish the landing procedures and open the door for him.

And there she was. Ranger's heart did a back-flip just to see her again. Her big blue eyes were sparkling, the love for him shining through. He let out the breath that he had not even been aware that he held. It was the look that he had been waiting for. What he had dreamed about every night. Oh, how he had missed her! He smiled at her. It was all he could do to stay standing still until the stairs could be put into place. But the moment they were, he was down them and into Stephanie's waiting arms.

He held onto her like he would never let go. He kissed the top of her head that was now tucked into his shoulder. A warmth, unlike anything he had ever felt before spread out from his heart into his whole being. She was his wife. The sound of that word echoed in his mind. His wife. He would never have to let her go ever again! He kissed her passionately to let her know that he never would.

Feeling just a bit squished, Mat expressed his discomfort. Ranger laughed and pulled back just enough to look down at him. Then he watched Stephanie's face as he introduced her to their new son. Her eyes now glistened with tears, as she looked at Mat, her shy smile unsure for only a moment. Then he could see the joy in her eyes, as she turned back to look at him. Ranger would never get tired of seeing her look at him that way. "Carlos Matthias Manoso" she said. His chest filled with pride. Other than making sure that the name Maria wanted was used, they had not talked about what they would officially name their child. He could not be happier that she had decided to let him know how she felt by choosing the perfect name. He hoped that his eyes conveyed how happy she had made him, because he was finding it difficult to think of any words that could. Her wink at him told him that she understood, and then she turned her attention to Mat.

She kissed his forehead. Mat looked at her and stopped crying. Ranger could see that they had both decided that they could do this. They could be a family together. They were going to be more than alright!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	9. Chapter 9

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a glorious day, the sun was accompanied by white puffy clouds floating by high in the azure blue sky. No one really noticed, Stephanie had been too excited, she was just happy that there would be no weather problems to worry about. Standing in the parking garage, Ella and Louis Guzman watched the SUV pull out into the street and disappear from sight. They did not pay attention to the beauty of the day either. There were other things on their minds. Louis wrapped an arm around Ella's shoulders. Immediately she let him pull her into his embrace, her head tucked under his chin. He knew what she was feeling, and his heart broke again for her, for them, for the children that they never had.

After a moment, Ella straightened. She hugged her husband one more, kissing him on the cheek before she started gathering up the stuff they had unloaded from Stephanie's car. Louis silently helped her with the task. He knew that she needed to stay busy. It was how she coped in times like this. Together they took everything up to the apartment. And together they made it through another moment of sadness, of heartache.

It had been their plan to have a family. Once they found each other, they wanted to share their love, their life with children. When it didn't happen, they both knew what it felt like to have their hearts torn apart. They may never know what caused the infertility problems. Two years after they were married, they were both tested for everything. But there were never any definitive answers for them. Someone once suggested that MMR vaccines were blamed for any number of unexplained problems, but no one could ever confirm it. They had married later in life and maybe that was a contributing factor. That may have been the hardest part, not knowing. The biggest mystery was that they were both affected. Years were spent trying to find answers, trying to understand. They never did either, but they were finally able to accept it. Most of the time it didn't hurt so much anymore, especially after coming to RangeMan. Their work kept them busy, and they had a new family here, and they still had each other.

They were truly excited for Ranger and Stephanie. Bringing a child into their lives was a precious gift. For the briefest of moments, they both felt their grief. Wordlessly they saw each other through it. And together they looked forward. Mat would be a very welcome addition to the family here. They knew that they would be involved very in his life. And they couldn't wait.

Ella used her master key to let them into the seventh floor apartment. She came in frequently to clean, so it did not bother her at all to walk right in. Louis hesitated for just a split second, he still did not like being in someone else's space when they were not there. Ella headed straight to the bedroom, he followed and stopped at the door. The rocking chair he helped Frank Plum deliver, now took center stage in the new bedroom arrangement. Louis stared at it for a while. It looked a lot like the one that he had found for Ella years ago. He had kept it hidden away, it was going to be the perfect present to celebrate the arrival of their first child. It felt right to want to start a family, his beautiful Ella had so much love to give, and it was only natural to assume that she would have children to shower it on.

He sighed and turned away, Ella's rocking chair had never come out of hiding. At first he did not want any reminders of the fact they could not conceive. Later it was just too painful, especially after they were told that they were too old to adopt. The chair disappeared, becoming just another one of the sad memories that he tried to keep locked away.

Ella had rebounded quickly, she always did. Louis was constantly amazed that she could be such a positive force for all things good. He loved that about her. She would never know how many times her ability to love, to give, was all that kept him going. He vowed that would never let her down, and that promise saw him through one difficult situation after another.

In all of her bustling about, sorting and putting things away, Louis had not realized that Ella had ended up over at the very rocking chair that he was trying not to think about. She gently placed a chenille throw blanket over the back. He stared at her, unable to move. She looked up at him, something in her eyes captured his attention. He could not look away when she started talking.

"I had a chair like this once," she said. Louis couldn't breathe. "It was the perfect gift," she was saying. A hand idly smoothed over the curved wood. She was looking at him, not taking her eyes from his. "I kept it hidden away, and when I needed to grieve a bit, I would sneak out to sit in it." She saw the look in his eyes. She had never admitted this to him before. "As I rocked back and forth I thought about only one person. The one who loved me so much that he would not add to my pain by giving me a rocking chair."

Walking over to him, her arms wrapped around his waist and she laid her head on his chest. "He never knew how much that chair meant to me," she whispered. "I never told him that it saved me, he saved me!" Slowly his arms came around to hug her tight. His head buried in her hair.

"Ella," he uttered her name, unable to say more.

"One day, I realized that there was no more sorrow," she said. "I was in love with the most amazing, wonderful man in the world, and he loved me." "I gave the chair to someone who needed it," she said softly. "That was the right thing to do, wasn't it?" she asked.

Louis finally found his ability to speak, "That was the perfect thing to do," he said. He took her lovely face in both of his hands. "That was the perfect thing," he repeated, the meaning very different this time. She nodded, as he bent his head to kiss her. "Te Amo." Both hearts heard the words that neither mouth had spoken.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All the guys in the on duty would catch themselves watching Gene as he was working. It was almost as much as staring at the monitors. Gene had set up his operations in the far corner of the Comm room. He needed more room than the cubicles afforded, so Tank moved him here where he could do his work all spread out. Papers were everywhere, tacked up on the walls, in piles on the desk and the tables he had pulled over. They were even sticking out of many of the books that were stacked everywhere. But as chaotic as it may have looked to anyone else, Gene was actually very careful to keep his work separate from the research that Lester had brought back from the lab.

Tapping furiously on his keyboard, Gene stared at the screen, something was not right. He grabbed his pencil and scribbled some notes. Then caught the pencil in his teeth, he turned back to the screen and pounded in the information. Finally he sat back in his chair and almost smiled at the results. The only thing that stopped his lips from curving was the pock-marked pencil. With a sheepish look, he grabbed it and tossed it onto the desk. He didn't look around to see it anyone had seen him do that. He was so involved in his work, it had never occurred to him that anyone would be watching.

Every morning since they had come back, Tank came over stood at the perimeter of the space, waiting for Gene to realize that he was there. Sometimes he waited as long as ten minutes, but he did not mind. He had learned long ago never to interrupt a scientist at work. In college, he had had some roommates that majored in Biochemistry. That opened up a new group of friends for him. And he found that every guy he had met, who had any scientific tendencies, became so absorbed in their projects that sudden disruptions threw them completely off. Potentially destroying trains of thought that could have led somewhere important. He had been yelled at enough times that he had finally come to understand and respect the process.

Bending over the table that held the doctors research, Gene was preoccupied in his search. Eventually he looked up and noticed him standing there. "Tank," he said, immediately standing at attention. Tank smiled and walked over to him placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax," he said with a smile. "What have you got?"

The next forty-five minutes were filled with detailed information about the research. Tank let most of the technical stuff just go over his head. But he listened intently, he knew that this part of the process was important. Verbally explaining seemed to have the effect of clarifying things that mental thought and even notes could not.

His patience paid off. Gene looked up at him suddenly. "I think that they are on the verge of discovering the most amazing substance," he said slowly, almost reverently. "From what the research indicates, it is almost ready to produce." Gene's voice reflected the astonishment he felt. This substance could be used in so many ways, they had to know that it could be potentially dangerous. Especially in the wrong hands. He was well aware that many scientists did their work for the sake of discovery and expanding human knowledge. Few of them ever took the responsibility of what was done with their findings. This is where he differed from most of the scientists that he knew. He was a firm believer that there are some things that should just not be shared with some people. And this discovery would be one that he would put at the top of that list.

After a lengthy discussion of the implications, both positive and negative, Tank had a better understanding of the conflict that Dr Dutton was feeling. When he had visited him in DC, the doctor had been very reluctant to talk to him about the research that they were doing. Had he come to some of these same conclusions? That this discovery could be dangerous in the wrong hands? There had been something about Tom Dutton that made Tank think that he would be like Gene. A scientist with a conscience.

His opinion of Brian Taylor was similar. Although he had not spent nearly as much time talking to Taylor, he had the feeling that he too, would be upset if he knew that his life work was used to harm instead of help. So what were these two men doing with Humelik? There had to be some answers that they had not found yet. In light of these recent developments, Tank wanted to talk to the doctors again. If his feeling about Dutton were correct, he should be receiving a phone call from him any time now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The countdown was on. The fifth floor at RangeMan Inc was filling up fast. Everyone wanted to welcome Ranger home. By now they had all heard about the mission, the baby and the unique wedding ceremony. It was time to introduce the new family to the extensive RangeMan family. On the way home from the airport, Tank had filled them in on the plans. Ella had already mentioned that everyone was going to be here when they got back, so Stephanie was prepared for the explanation. Ranger nodded and smiled down at Mat, who was blissfully unaware of anything as he slept soundly in the state of the art car seat that Stephanie had bought for him.

After the farewell that Ranger had been given in Ecuador, he understood better how important it would be to his men to be introduced to the new addition to the family. They already knew him, and they already loved Stephanie, there was no doubt that they would all feel like uncles to Mat. He was actually looking forward this, Mat was about to join an elite group of men, and Ranger couldn't be prouder!

Stephanie felt the same pride as her husband. She understood that smile on his face. 'So, this is what it's like' she mused. It is such a powerful emotion to be tied to the well-being and acceptance of your child. She knew that her friends were going to be so great for Mat. Who could not use a bunch of uncles to set you straight? Before she saw Ranger holding Mat, Stephanie thought that it would be funny to see these big men with a tiny baby. Now she knew that there would never be anything quite as sweet, or wonderful. She couldn't wait for this!

The moment they pulled into the garage, Stephanie could feel the anticipation. Her eyes were glowing with happiness and just a little nervousness. Ranger had never seen her look more beautiful! Woody and Hal were waiting for them by the door . They greeted the little family and then helped Tank unload the trunk. The men followed Stephanie and Ranger into the elevator, and once they were moving, Hal bent over Stephanie's shoulder and whispered to Mat.

"Nice to see you again little man." "Looking good!"

Laughing softly, Stephanie stepped out onto the fifth floor, Ranger walked close beside her with his arm draped loosely around her shoulders. It did not take long before they were immediately surrounded by the guys eager to see the instant family.

Stephanie was glowing as the new mommy, her arms carefully wrapped around the little bundle of joy. Ranger hung back a little and watched as her face lit up with one smile after another as she helped their friends meet the little boy. One by one Mat met his new uncles. Stephanie was impressed with the gentle way the guys held him in their big muscular arms. She knew he was safe, and so did he. He seemed to be perfectly comfortable in their arms. That may have had something to do with the fact that he had been held by Ranger so much of the time during the last week or so.

Passing him along, no one held him for more than a minute or so, but it made no difference to the men, their eagerness to see him was not diminished in the least. Most of them whispered their promises to him, to teach him all kinds of skills and to take him playing when he was older. Over and over, Stephanie started picturing what it was going to be like for this small child to grow up here with all his uncles. She could not keep the smile from her face at those thoughts. If Mat wanted to fly, they would help him do it. After he received the proper training, of course. He was going to one lucky little boy!

When it was time to take the baby and the new mommy home, they waved goodbye as they made their way to the elevator. As the doors slowly closed, Stephanie did a finger wave once more, and the men were finally blocked from view.

Ranger stood behind Stephanie, his arms wrapped around her and Mat. She leaned her head back and kissed his neck. "I am so glad you are back!" she whispered. "I missed you."

He recognized the tremor in her voice. It had sounded that way every time they had spoken to each other over the phone, during the past few days. He turned her to face him, he wanted to look in to her eyes. He had missed that most of all. He could always get lost in those big blue eyes. A million thoughts raced through his mind. But only one was important, only one that he needed to share with her, now.

"Stephanie, I need you to know," he said, his voice was just above a whisper, but it was firm and sure when he said, "I love you!"

Her eyes glistened and a single tear slid down her cheek. Her smile was radiant. He had told her that many, many times in their recent conversations over the phone. But there was absolutely nothing like hearing it in person with his dark eyes staring into her own. Ranger wiped that tear away and kissed her softly, before leaning his forehead against hers. The elevator doors opened, but neither one moved for a moment. Finally Mat protested being trapped between them, again. They laughed and moved toward the apartment door.

Ranger suddenly stopped. "There aren't any surprises in there, are there?" he asked.

Stephanie looked at him, baffled. Does the new baby furniture count as a surprise she wondered. Ranger laughed as he read the look on her face.  
"Our families were not downstairs, they are not waiting for us in there, are they?"

Now Stephanie smiled. "No, it's only us," she said.

"How did you manage that?" he asked, he knew that there was nothing in this world that could keep his mother away from her new grandchild. Stephanie shrugged innocently.

"I may have told them that your flight arrived at two o'clock," she said. Ranger nodded, it had arrived, on time, at two pm.

"Tomorrow afternoon," she said, hiding a smile.

He pulled her into another hug. "Have I told you how much I love you!" he said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Golden sunlight bathed Paul Markus as he stood by the window in his bedroom. He had been standing here since dawn, and had watched the sun rising over the small mountain range on the horizon. The sun warmed him, it felt good, but he hardly noticed. It had been a long sleepless night. Most of it spent sitting in the chair next to the window. His wife was still in bed, sleeping peacefully for the first time since they had received news that their son had been taken hostage in the jungles of Ecuador.

Paul was just as relieved as his wife was to know that Leo was alive and doing fine. It would be a few weeks before they would be able to see him, but the knowledge that he had been found was all they needed for now. The past two months had been hard on them. Not only was their son missing. But strange rumors started circulating around the company, around town. Things that just did not make sense. Humelik was a pharmaceutical company, they developed medicine, cures. They were an altruistic organization, set up to aid humanity. That anyone would suggest otherwise really bothered him. He never thought that he would have to defend the company that he helped create.

Maybe things would change in the coming days, weeks. Maybe by the time Leo was back home, they would all find that it had been a mistake. Paul rubbed his hand over his eyes, the sun now glaring at him, hot and harsh. He may be retired, but he still heard things about the company. What he was hearing now did not make any sense to him. Soon Leo would be home, and he could get the truth from him.

It seemed that Paul was not the only one waiting for Leo. Or Ed. As head of the sales division, Richard Alvari should know about every transaction involving the sale of the company's products. He even thought that he should know about every product that they produced here. But apparently, Ed had some secret project with Leo Markus. And whatever they were working on was being sold to the highest bidder in a sales negotiation that he had not been part of.

No one was more surprised to hear the rumors than Richard. He liked Ed, they got along perfectly well and the company had thrived under his management for over ten years now. Everyone knew that the past couple of years had been challenging in the changing economy, but Ed had shown great leadership in keeping the company going strong.

Opening the labs in Ecuador had been a stroke of genius. That is what everyone had been saying. Right up until Ed and Leo had got themselves kidnapped by an angry drug cartel. That had been a blow to the whole company. At first because of the violence of the act. Being taken by gunpoint, and then disappearing for so long had shocked everyone. An outpouring of support went to the families. Everything that they could do had been done to try to find them and bring them back. After two months it was easy to wonder if they would ever be heard of again. In their absence, Richard and the other department heads kept things up and running. They all thought that it was working out fine. That's when they started to see that things were not as they seemed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	10. Chapter 10

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Welcome Home

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lights were off as they entered the apartment. Only the radiance of the moon shining through the windows in the living room lit their way. Ranger was reluctant to disturb the peaceful scene, so he gently led Stephanie over to stand with him in front of the window. She did not seem to mind a bit, and neither did Mat. They were all somehow drawn to the magic of the silvery light.

After a few quiet moments, each alone with their thoughts, Ranger moved closer to Stephanie, pulling her into a hug. She immediately responded, her heart full of love for this man, her head dropped to rest on his chest. She wanted to say something sexy, something suggestive. Something entirely inappropriate for a woman holding a baby in her arms. She drew in a deep breath and whispered into his ear.

"Does Mat have a bedtime routine?"

She could feel the rumble of his laugh in his chest, it vibrated right through to her. When she reached up and kissed his neck, he could feel the slight trembling, of her passion that was just under the surface. He knew just how she felt. He had already waited much longer than he had wanted to, to be alone with his wife. Days too long. He took a deep breath to keep a lid on his libido.

"Actually," he said. "This is part of the routine." She looked up at him in surprise. He was still gazing out the window. "Mat and I would stand by the window every night and talk about you." He looked over at her now, his high wattage smile nearly lighting up the room. Stephanie was speechless. That was quite nearly the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. And the image that came to her mind, of Ranger telling tales to their little boy made her all warm inside. She remembered the many nights she had been standing here, in the moonlight just like this when he would call her. In those moments, she had felt so close to him. To them.

"He loved hearing stories about you," he teased. "Especially the ones about taking naps under the big trees at the park." He gave her shoulders another squeeze.

Stephanie could not believe that he had remembered that. During one of their first night-time conversations he had asked her what she had done that day. She knew that he was not able to share many of the details of his day, so in order to keep him on the line as long as she could, she filled him in with every single thing that she had done. It had included a trip to the park with Nicky and Tony and her nieces. She'd told him that Nicky would always tell her that he was not tired. Big boys did not need naps. But, she laughed when she told him that he fell for the possum routine every time! She even told him how much the kids looked like angels when they were asleep. They had laughed about how amazing that the rough and tough little boys could look so sweet.

"You told him that?" she whispered.

Ranger kissed her on the top of her head. Breathing in her sweet scent, getting lost in the essence that was his wife! His head was spinning, being this close to her is all he had thought about for weeks. It felt so much better than any of his imaginings!

"It's one of his favorite stories," he said. "I liked it too, but I think that we can skip the bedtime story tonight, he has had a pretty exciting day." Stephanie nodded her agreement. "How about we show you the rest of our routine."

Stephanie grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom. Switching on the light, she teasingly said "Surprise!" giggling as she recalled his earlier concern about what kind of surprises might be waiting for him in the apartment.

"Wow, Steph," he said, looking around his new and improved bedroom. "You have done Susan proud." "Everything is great."

Stephanie walked over to the changing table. "How did she react when you told her that she could have everything?"

Remembering how uncomfortable parts of that conversation had been, he chose not to share all of the details and went straight to the part where Susan was surprised and very happy about it. Stephanie was pleased,they had agreed that there was no way he could bring it all home, so he needed to find someone who could use it. "I told you she would be," she said, smiling brilliantly.

"Now," Stephanie said. "Let's get to the routine." She smiled sweetly up at him as he walked over to wrap his arms around her and kiss her neck. She was just about to remind him that it was the baby's routine, not his that she was talking about, when Mat yawned, making a little squeaking noise.

"Okay, little man," Ranger said, taking his place next to the changing table. "Let's show mommy how we do this." Stephanie was laughing at his antics as her husband bathed and dressed their little boy. She helped him with the bottle as he sat in the rocking chair and started singing a song in spanish. Mat's eyes were drooping by the time he had finished eating. Ranger stood and motioned for Stephanie to take his place in the chair. He tossed a burp cloth to her and she placed it on her shoulder.

Gently he handed the tired baby to her and she rocked as she softly patted his back. Ranger sat on the edge of the bed and watched. This was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Stephanie's head bent sideways to lightly rest on Mat's. She closed her eyes and started humming. After a few bars he realized it was a soft version of Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters'. He couldn't stop the smile that turned up the corners of his mouth.

"You are going to have to teach me some of your spanish songs," she looked over and winked at him, as if she had read his mind. Yeah, Metallica is not exactly lullaby material. The full smile now appeared and he nodded.

"And if you want, I'll sing you a lullaby when you go to bed too, Babe" he teased.

Suddenly a thought occurred to her and she became serious. "How long will he be asleep, before he'll want to eat again?"

Ranger understood her concern and was just as serious when he answered. "He sleeps through the night." He tried not to smile when he saw the bright blue of her eyes darken as she looked up at him. Before he could think or say anything, Mat burped. That about said it all!

Lifting him from her arms, Ranger settled Mat in his new cradle, and bent to kiss his forehead.

"And that," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Is the end of his bedtime routine."

He extended his hand to her and drew her up into his arms. "Would you like to show me your routine now?" he asked, gazing into those eyes that he had dreamed of so often. Stephanie kissed his neck, working her way up his chin, to his lips. The kisses continued as they made their way into the living room.

In the light of the moon, they showed each other just how much they had missed one another. They shared their hearts and whispered their vows again, this time face to face, in person. Just the two of them, as finally became as one.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An unearthly glow lit up the center of the airplane. The subdued lights in a soft blue hue provided just enough illumination for Tom to make out the man who would be returning to his seat any minute now. Mr. 'I don't care what his name is' had already gone through his philosophy about air travel. His entire two hour dissertation could have been summed up in two words. Dangerous but necessary.

At this moment, the man was walking up and down the aisle in an effort to avoid any form of a 'deep venous thrombosis'. He was nothing if not very thorough in his convictions. While Tom did appreciate the vigilance that the guy was taking for his health, he had been a walking, talking nightmare since the moment the flight began. He didn't seem to realize that Tom was too tired to keep up the conversation. He may not have even noticed, or cared that Tom had not said more than a dozen words the entire time.

So halfway through the flight, when Tom was finally given a break from the non-stop chatter of his traveling neighbor, he saw his chance. He closed his eyes. Maybe if he pretended that he was sleeping, the talkative man who sat in the seat beside him would know that he could stop trying to carry on a conversation with him. He was sure that the man would be back from his little cabin stroll any minute, so he huddled down in his seat and kept his breathing even and his eyes closed.

Two flights in two days had not been his first choice of things to do, but Tank was right, he could not stay in Ecuador. The lab was no longer safe, especially for him and Brian. Speaking of Brian, he was standing out in the aisle so that the talkative man could sit down. Tom did not have to look at him to know that he wore a grim expression on his face. That his shoulders drooped and he let his head hang as if in despair. He felt betrayed and violated, and who could blame him. This kind of thing did not happen in his world. Brian was completely out of his element. But what hurt him worst of all, was that his notes, his work, all of it was gone.

Tom hated to have to let him believe that. This must have been the hardest judgement call he had ever had to make. Brian was naive and trusting. He was focused and dedicated. His whole life was tied up in his research. It was not his fault that he got caught up in all of this drama.

From the day they met, Tom could see that Brian was exactly what he seemed. Highly intellectual, meticulous, and he was completely focused on one thing. Birds. Although his research covered many other elements, they could all be traced back to his love of birds. He was completely innocent and there were moments when Tom really felt bad about the way he had to keep so much information from him.

A necessary evil, as it turned out. One that Tank understood immediately. While his eyes were closed, Tom was far from being asleep. His mind was busy, mostly thinking about the phone call that had put him back on airplane heading into unknown territory. After he had dialed the number he found, Tom knew exactly what he would need to do. What he knew about Tank were not based off of anything that was said. Instead, it had been his gut instinct that told him that he could trust the large man. Those instincts were confirmed with the call. As he had done, so many times since he had talked to him, Tom went over their conversation in his mind, nearly word for word. There was something very comforting about knowing that someone else had his back for once.

Just as he had known it would, the phone number that he had found connected him directly with the man he had met in DC. When Tank had answered the call, he had been very specific. He spoke only a few words. Enough to convey his message and no more. Tom appreciated the military precision of the way Tank communicated. As if he were planning a covert operation. Now that he thought about it, wasn't that exactly what this was? He had not told anyone where he was going. Somehow he did not want them to know. It would be hard to explain the connection Tom felt with Tank.

He did not need anyone to tell him to proceed with extreme caution. He already knew that. Tank was an intelligent man. If he was willing to help him, it was probably based off of the same types of vibes that Tom had felt himself. He was pretty sure that Tank knew a whole lot more than he was saying. In fact, it was all that he did not say that had Tom wondering just how much the man knew about him. He would find out soon. They would be arriving in Newark in just a few hours. And since he was the only one he wanted to trust. He would have to trust him too.

He could feel the next ripple of his life colliding with that of the man who could provide all the answers he needed. Of course, in order to get those answers, he was going to have to give up a few of his own and that worried him. His responses over the last ten years had been fabrications. Could he share the truth with Tank to help complete his mission? For now, that question had to be put aside. First he would have to know that Tank and his associates did indeed have what he needed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty Four hours was all that he had. Ranger knew that there were answers that needed to be found before the team had their debriefing in DC tomorrow. For obvious reasons, this mission had been unlike any other. He had placed much more responsibility for dealing with the details on Tank, and he was going to have to continue to do so.

From here on out, his life was unscripted. He did not know what to expect from one minute to the next. That thought should have been scaring him to death. But instead, he found it one of the most liberating feelings that he had ever had. And he had to wonder if this is the way that Stephanie felt, in every moment of her life. He gazed down at his beautiful bride who was sleeping in his arms. It was still sinking into his head that she had married him. Her leap of faith for them warmed his heart in a way that nothing else ever had. She loved him, trusted him. He still did, and always would feel like the luckiest man in the world. No, he did not know what to expect next with her. But he couldn't help but smile at the endless possibilities.

The peaceful, quiet moments of reflection did not last long. Within an hour, the baby was awake and their first full day as a family had begun. Ranger stepped out of the bathroom after his shower to find Stephanie sitting in the rocking chair with Mat in her arms. She was softly telling him a story, while he was eating. Ranger stood motionless, this feeling deep in his heart was something that he was going to love getting used to. Here was the one thing that he never expected to have in his life. A family of his own.

Stephanie looked up at him. She was absolutely beautiful! Those sparkling blue eyes held such wonder as a smile spread across her face. Her wild hair was a messy mass of curls, and she had never looked more perfect. Walking over, he dropped a kiss on top of her head. He knelt down and circled an arm around her as he bent to drop a kiss on Mat's head too. Stephanie surprised him by capturing his lips in a good morning kiss that told him it was going to be a magnificent day.

Ranger dressed quickly and took over with Mat while Stephanie showered. She found them in the living room when she was done. Mat was now dressed too and he seemed to be mesmerized by whatever Ranger was saying into the phone he had up to his ear. They were both relaxed and comfortable and she had a feeling that this scene had been played before. Mat had no doubt listened in on many phone conversations before, and she was sure there would be many more.

She left them to the phone call and wandered into the kitchen. Ranger had already started the coffee for her, the aroma drifted to her and she knew it was almost done. Ella had stocked the kitchen again. Whole grain bread, fruits, yogurt and cottage cheese, eggs and low fat milk. Not a tasty cake in sight. Not that Stephanie was looking. Ever since she had moved into the apartment, weeks ago, she had been trying to get used to the foods that Ella provided. Still dreaming of olives and ice cream and peanut butter and beer.

But when she had first heard Mat's voice, in a sigh over the phone, something had changed. The immediate responsibility she felt to him made her rethink some of her questionable eating habits. Stephanie was humming as she prepared her now favorite breakfast, Muesli cereal with yogurt and a banana. Someday she would also rethink her need for coffee, but not today.

By the time Ranger joined her in the kitchen, breakfast was ready. He could not hide the surprise in his eyes, and he gave her a look that said 'Proud of you, Babe.' All she could do is smile and shrug. Yeah, she knew what he was thinking. She couldn't blame him, she would have been shocked too. So she just gave him a quick kiss and put everything on the table.

Ranger sat down and took a bite. He looked like he was accustomed to eating with a baby in his arms. Stephanie realized just how much of a head start he had with Mat. It comforted her, she knew that her fears about taking care of a baby had not disappeared. Now she knew that she could watch her husband, follow his lead. He would show her everything that she needed to know. The rest she would play by ear. But she could already feel her maternal instincts kicking in. Her confidence would grow day by day.

Ranger left Stephanie with Mat. He hated to leave, but there were some things that just had to be done. The visitors that they were expecting would arrive later today. Before they got here, he hoped to have Gene finished with the research he was doing. He needed the report that Silvio and Rodriguez were working on, giving his the answers he needed about Tom Dutton, and last, but not least, he needed to coordinate with Tank about what they would need to do to help keep the doctors safe, and their research hidden. Just a few things on his plate before they were expected to show up at his parents house later this afternoon.

He was still amazed and grateful for Stephanie's insight. He had needed these extra hours before the family events. Even as he had a lot to do, he couldn't wait to get back to Stephanie. He was going to love discovering all of the surprises and hidden talents of his wife!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	11. Chapter 11

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Family affair

XXXXXXXXX

It was getting late, and they still had another flight change and one more frantic race down to the next concourse to board their plane. With just minutes before the door closed, they made it to the check in counter. Whoever had made these reservations must have been crazy, thought Tom. This six hour trip had already taken twice that. He tried to keep a watchful eye on Brian, worried about his ability to keep going.

He did not complain. Brian had not said much of anything since they had left Ecuador. Of course he noticed that Tom had not been all that talkative either, and he seemed to be taking everything in stride. That fact grated on his nerves. Why should Tom be all calm about things when he was nearly falling apart.

Brian slumped down into his seat. This time they were on the very back row and alone. That would have given Brian a good chance to talk to Tom. But he did not know what to say. His mind was stuck on that moment that the metal locker was opened and they looked inside the false back to find the shelves empty. That same empty feeling now dominated Brian, he felt it in his gut and in his heart. How could everything that he had ever worked on be gone. Just like that!

It was not supposed to be this way. He remembered what Tom had said when he insisted that they take "precautions" with their work. They had spent a whole afternoon, alone in the building installing the secret space behind the cabinet. It had seemed all so clandestine to him at the time, but he had appreciated the diligence that Tom seemed to have, to protect their work..

That was what hurt the most. He had trusted Tom. Believed that he knew what he was doing. It felt like he had been betrayed. But he could not direct his anger at anyone. He knew that Tom had done everything that he could to keep things safe. They had been together through the same hell the whole time. No, it was not Tom he was upset with. But somewhere in his mind, he could not separate the two.

Once again, another plane rose high into the clear skies. Tom looked out of the windows. Fatigue was catching up with him. Pretending to be asleep didn't prove to be at all restful, and with their injuries only just healing, neither one of them was in any kind of shape to be racing through the airports the way they had. Tom gazed over at Brian. As he expected, he was pale and his head was drooping. He needed to get him to their destination and under some medical care as soon as he could.

Tank had indicated that he would have arrangements made. If the communication was a little bit vague, Tom was trusting that he would know what they needed. This last leg of the trip was only going to be another couple of hours or so. He would not get any rest, but he could relax until they landed. He turned once more toward Brian. He looked depressed again. All that would go away when he got his work back. But that created a big problem for Tom.

He would need to find an explanation to why Tank had their research materials. And it had better be good. He could not rely on Brian's excitement, to finally have it back, to distract him for long. Brian may be an innocent, but he was not stupid, and he had not gotten to where he was by being clueless. Tom closed his eyes. 'Yeah, it's going to have to be an amazing explanation' he thought, just as he unexpectedly drifted into a disturbed sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Climbing the stairs slowly, the lightweight box weighed heavy in his hands. He had thought about this since first reading the letters. And looking at the box sitting in his office all morning, Ranger decided that it was time to have this talk with Stephanie. But he also wanted to show her why it was important. He would not want to hurt her, not in a million years.

He reached the apartment without coming up with the words to say yet. As he opened up the door, he heard Stephanie humming, Metallica again. The corner of his mouth curved a little. He really was going to have to teach her some songs. What he saw when he entered the room stopped him at the door. Stephanie was sitting in the rocking chair with Mat asleep in her arms. Her focus, however, was on the baby clothes laid out all over the bed.

"Steph?" Ranger asked her as he walked into the room.

Her face colored in an embarrassed blush. "I was just trying to decided what he was going to wear when he met our families," she tried to explain. "But then he got hungry and I had to stop…" She stopped talking mid sentence and smiled.

"I still haven't figured which outfit would be best," she said. At his confused look, she tried to explain what she meant. "The moment they found out about Mat, our families went completely crazy."

With her head nodding toward the bed, she directed Ranger's attention to the first set of clothes. "My mother came over with baby clothes that she has been saving for her first grandson. Obviously she has not had the chance to use them yet, but that cute little blue outfit there was her favorite one."

"And then your mom showed up with the cutest basket of baby things." A pointed look to the basket on the floor next to the rocking chair was followed by a slight shrug. "I loved the basket and it was just the perfect thing to hold the stuffed animals that have been showing up from everywhere!"

"The little green shirt with the black pants was in the basket, your mom told me that she had fallen love with it and just knew that Mat had to have it."

Stephanie followed Ranger's gaze to the bed again, as he looked at the other outfits that were there. When he cast a quizzical look her way again, she explained that Celia and Val and Mary Lou and Ella had all brought clothes for Mat too.

Ranger finally understood. He walked over to take Mat from her arms. He gently placed him in the crib and he extended his hand to Stephanie. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead. "You have the biggest heart," he said softly. He knew that she wanted to include everyone in Mat's life. Having him wearing their gifts would be the first way to do that.

"I have an idea," he said, as he released her, pulling her over to the bed. He picked up his mother's selection and put it on the changing table. "We are going to my parents house first. He can wear this."

Then he put the diaper bag on the bed. He packed the outfit that Helen had chosen. "Chances are Mat might mess up one outfit and need to be put into another one. We can do it before we go see your family." Stephanie nodded. It could work. Relieved she smiled at him.

"Thanks for that," she said, as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and leaned against his chest.

His heart swelled with the love he had for her. And once again he hoped that what he was about to say would not upset her. He led her from the bedroom and Stephanie spotted the box on the table. Before she could ask what it was, he picked it up and pulled her with him to sit on the couch.

"We have something to talk about before we see the families today," he said.

He did not miss her concerned look. This was not going to be easy. Slowly he opened the box and carefully lifted out the stack of papers. He set them on the coffee table and picked up the first page.

"I told you what we found out about Mat's mother, right?" he asked. She silently nodded her head, keeping eye contact with him.

"Maria wrote letters to Matthias. To her son that she knew she would never get to know." Ranger drew in a deep breath. "If I read them to you, you will understand what we have to talk about," he said. His look now was asking her to understand, to give him permission to share these letters with her.

Stephanie was silent for a moment. It seemed to stretch on indefinitely before she finally gave her consent with a single nod. She knew that this was important to him, she wanted to know why he was upset by this and she wanted to know what the letters said.

Ranger translated as he read, the story of Maria and her husband was told in simple and poetic terms. Stephanie was spellbound by the sweet love story that she was telling her son. Maria told of her mother and her sister, and her father. She introduced him to his own father, telling all the things that she loved about him. The whole village came to life through her stories. Traditions and customs and everyday situations. Until, at last, the tragic event that took everything away from her was described simply as a portal to a beautiful new land of enchantment.

From that moment on, Mat was described as the young prince who was searching for something precious. Fanciful stories unfolded of the princes adventures and his heroic deeds, like rescuing a bird he found trapped in a fallen tree, or quieting a horse who had been accidentally spooked by some small children running around his legs. They were all told with a fantastic imagination. The prince continued on with his quest, until at last he found what he had been looking for. But it was not until he was a grown man, with a family of his own that he found his prize.

The ornately carved box with polished leather hinges was finally in his possession. With a trembling hand, he slowly lifted the lid. Nothing could be seen inside the box, as a silver light glowed so intensely that it passed right through the prince's heart. Tears came to his eyes. He had found what was priceless and more precious than any other treasure. The box contained Love. The love from his parents. The King and Queen had left it for him to find.

At first the prince was angry at himself that it had taken so long for him to find it. Nearly a lifetime. But those feeling left as suddenly as they had come. Because he realized that he knew this feeling. It had always been with him. He had had their love all along. It was his, to keep, and to share. He had never been happier in his life.

Stephanie sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye, as Ranger placed the last paper down. It took a few moments before he could look at her. He was still filled with the powerful emotions that he had had the first time he read these letters. The injustice of what happened to Maria and her village was still a sore spot to him. He hoped one day to know that the monsters who had done this had been held responsible and stopped from hurting others.

But his focus right now was on Stephanie. She was staring at the pile of papers. Maria's story.

"Maria knew that she was going to die?" she asked in a whisper before turning her eyes to meet his.

Ranger nodded. That made her so sad, in a way she could not even explain. Ranger told her about the incident in her village. He let her know what Dr. Dutton had said to Tank. Maria knew that she was ill. Her parents and her sister had been killed by the fever that had spread through the village. Maria had not died then, but she had become weakened by it. Her pregnancy, though it was a blessing, had been hard on her body. In the very best of circumstances it would have been difficult. Thanks to the cartel, she had had to deal with the worst conditions possible.

"She knew." he confirmed. Then he took a breath, what he had to say now was what he had been thinking about for days now. He and Stephanie had legally and officially adopted Matthias. It would be within their rights to raise him as their own child. Everyone that they knew was aware of the circumstances surrounding Mat's adoption. They were supportive and eager to welcome him into their lives. He didn't know how to say this. How to express his feelings. Mat would be his son in every way that mattered. Stephanie's son the same way. But he felt he owed it to Mat and to Matthais and to Maria to tell their story. To let Mat know of his own unique heritage. But how do you explain this to an infant, to a child, without confusing him? He knew that this would be something that the families all needed to understand. And that started now with Stephanie. Suddenly he was not sure how to even tell her how he felt.

"Maria is gone. But her love for Mat is forever." he started. But then he paused, still unsure.

Stephanie took his hand in hers. She suddenly understood what this discussion was all about. Mat would be their child. Part of their family. But he also had a legacy of love that was his too. He needed to know that, as much as Maria deserved for him to know of her and her love for him.

"Maria gave us the perfect way to tell Mat about his family," she said softly. "She gave us stories to tell him. Stories about love. That is all he has to know right now." Ranger squeezed her hands, that was exactly what he needed to hear. "When he is old enough to understand, we will tell him all about the events that brought him to us," she continued. "Right now we give him what he needs, and that is to know that he is loved."

She is perfect, his heart told him again. Ranger pulled her into his arms, kissing her temples and hugging her tight. "Thank you." he whispered.

"For what?" she asked. She could feel his relief, he had been so worried about this. Her heart warmed again at the knowledge that he loved her and he loved Mat so much that he wanted things to be perfect. At the same time that she understood that even Ranger could not make everything perfect, she loved that he wanted to.

Ranger was relieved. She understood what he had wanted to say. They could now start sharing the stories with the families, and let them help Mat learn of his heritage in the way that made the most sense right now.

Now all he was worried about was that there was still one person that might want to lay claim to Mat. And he was coming here. Tonight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If he ever saw another airport it would be too soon, thought Karl Verner, as he dragged his suitcase off of the luggage carousel and headed out of building. He had been sent to nearly every part of the world over the past few months. His last trip to Washington DC proved to be the most frustrating of all. He was actually shaking his head as he walked briskly away from the airport terminal and to the car waiting for him. They needed to find some answers soon, or they would be in big trouble. As he got into the car, the curious eyes of his associate Max Tarmo begged for some good news. The shaking of Karl's head told him that he had none to give.

They would be meeting again with their small team back at Humelik tonight. Karl had no idea what they would be able to do about the shipment that was promised for delivery in the next month. Time was running out and the doctors had disappeared before they could get any information from them.

This was turning into such a mess. All starting with the lab in Ecuador. Karl had said all along that they should just steal the information and let their own team of scientists develop the serum that they needed. Unfortunately, Ed did not agree and Leo was too squeamish to force the issue. Karl wanted to be angry about that, but even he realized that the scientists at Humelik were unlikely to have been persuaded to work on this project. They were all about the ideals that the company had been founded on.

Of course, they did not have to worry about the economics of everything as they buried themselves in their work. It took money to keep their research going. To keep the company running. To accomplish all of those high and lofty goals that they had. It was up to Karl and Ed and the handful of others on the team to come up with real-world practical things to keep the company from going under. It may not be pretty, but it was going to save all of their hides.

The trip home from the airport was shrouded in silence. There was nothing to say, and Karl was so exhausted all he wanted was a few hours of sleep before he had to face the team. As he climbed the stairs to his apartment, the events of the past two months replayed in his mind. Subconsciously he was still searching for answers.

It had all started when the lab in Tiputini was up and running. All of the specifications that Dunne and Taylor had requested had been granted. Along with a few more that they did not know about. Karl had been responsible for a few of those, and he couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself for devising such a great plan. Unfortunately, the doctors were not exactly cooperative, a fact that made Karl both angry and more than a bit suspicious.

The computers that had been requested and the internet connection they needed had gone in at a huge expense. The one and only reason they had been granted was because Karl had every intention of using that connection to acquire the information that he wanted from them. The system had been set up to make a digital copy of everything that was saved into the computers. That information was immediately sent to Karls computer in a particularly sophisticated and complicated code. It was brilliant.

For the first month, Karl poured over everything that came from the doctor's computers. Unless they were using a code of thier own, nothing that was on these computers was of any help at all. It was mostly internet searches. None of the notes from their research had been saved, no calculations. No clues at all to what they were working on. Only their weekly reports held any answers, but of course they included just basic information. Karl's wonderful idea had backfired.

That made the 'inspection' tour so important. Ed and Leo had been chosen to go for very obvious reasons. They were both officers of the company. Ed was the one who had conducted the negotiations with the doctors, and Leo was the scientist who they could talk to and explain the research and results that they were seeing. Once again, the plan that seemed infallible, exploded in their faces. With the assurance that the government was providing protection, there was never any reason to believe that there would be any problems. Not even with the threats from that little pipsqueak Arquilla. The local drug lord had made some noise about the lab being built there. But they had repeatedly assured him that they were there for research purposes that had nothing at all to do with his operations. One more time, Karl had not seen any danger in their plans. The plans fell apart and this time they had an international incident to have to deal with.

Karl left home at that point to try to influence the governments of both Ecuador, where the incident took place, and the US where the scientist were from, that they needed to get the men back as soon as possible. He even offered to pay any ransom that was demanded.

Since he did not have the luxury of waiting, Karl took matters into his own hands. He went to Ecuador and searched the labs with a fine tooth comb. All he had to show for his efforts were a few pages of notes that had been scattered on the floor, and a few balled up pages that may or may not hold any valid information since they had obviously been discarded. He searched the place three times before bringing in a cleaning crew to put the place to rights again. He could not figure out where the research was. They would not have had any time to hide it when the attack happened and even if they did, he should have been able to find it.

All he could do now was wait. What he had hoped would take two days, took two months, and even then the rescued men were whisked away before he could talk to them. He chased them to the New York offices and then to DC where the Feds had moved them. By the time he saw them, they were sedated and could not tell him anything. Leaving him frustrated and weary.

All he could do was hope that by now the team had been able to find some scrap of data in the small amount of information that he had sent to them that would help them to move forward with their plans.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the trees that shaded the large back yard. Grandma Rosa was directing the activity in the yard, just as she always did for big family functions. Tables were set up and chairs, coming from all parts of the house, appeared with the help of all the grandkids.

"Camila mijita, ya estamos listos para el churrasco," Rosa called to her daughter. Ranger's mother was running things in the kitchen and she immediately sent out the pan of marinated strips of beef. Then she turned back to check on her black beans and the rice. A glance at the clock on the wall told her that the timing was right on. If they got the BBQ started now, they would have the food ready when Carlos and Stephanie showed up.

She was concerned that her son would be starving after a long flight and she was determined to have the solution to that problem ready and waiting for him. Of course, she might have had another motive too. She fully intended to hold the baby while her son and his new wife sat down to eat.

Suddenly children of all ages came running around the side of the house, "Estan aqui!" they were yelling, "they are here!" the children were jumping and yelling, until Grandma Rosa herded children and adults alike to the front yard to welcome the new little family.

Stephanie had just stepped back from the car with the diaper bag while Ranger removed the carseat with Mat still sleeping in it. They both looked up as they saw the crowd coming at them. Ranger stepped up to put an arm around Stephanie who was staring at everyone with her eyes wide. He had expected this reception, but no matter how many times he had told her about the size of his family and their enthusiasm for visitors, she was still not prepared for this.

"It's okay," he uttered softly as the first of the familia reached them. She tried to smile as she nodded. Suddenly the group split and an older woman rushed forward to take Ranger's face in both of her hands.

"Carlito, ya estan!" she murmured as she kissed his cheek. "So good to see you!" she said as she pulled back. Then she turned to Stephanie and kissed her cheek. "And you mijita, we are so happy to welcome you to the family!" Stephanie blushed at the attention as Rosa patted her cheek.

"Now where is my little nieto?" she said. Ranger held the carrier in his arms and presented Mat with a big smile on his face.

"Abuelita, this is Mat," he said with pride in his voice. He watched as his grandmother gently smoothed her finger over a pink cheek. Tears were in her eyes, and for the first time that he had ever been aware of, his Grandma Rosa could not say a single word. Everyone watched in awe, probably thinking the same thing. At that moment, two other people stepped forward, Ranger's parents stopped a few steps away and took in the scene. Then the moved in and gazed at the sleeping baby.

"He is beautiful Carlos," Camila said, her eyes sparkling with tears. She smiled at her son and then turned her attention to his wife. "Stephanie,welcome to our home" she said as she pulled her new daughter in law into a big hug.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. Stephanie met the family and she knew that she was never going to remember all their names. She tried to carry on conversations as she sampled the great food that people kept serving to her. Through it all Stephanie kept her eye on Mat, everyone wanted a chance to hold him, at least that was what it seemed like to her. In actuality, only a few people had been able to take him from Ranger. His parents and Grandma Rosa among them. And his sisters, Celia, Olivia and Sofia, who would not be denied the chance to hold their nephew!

By the time she finally started to relax a bit, it was time to pack up and leave. That in and of itself took nearly an hour. Stephanie had taken Mat into one of the bedrooms to change him. Camila walked in and helped her. Pulling the little blue outfit from the diaper bag, she smiled at Stephanie.

"Thank you," she said. Stephanie looked up at her, confused. "He looked adorable in the green outfit," she said. "And I think he will look just as cute in this blue one."

All of her worrying about Mat's clothes had mattered. Her mother in law did notice, and Ranger's suggestion had been the perfect solution. That Camila knew of the effort she had made, and acknowledged it, meant everything to Stephanie. She would have no problem fitting into this family. All of her worries and fears were gone. She really liked them all.

After hugs and promises made that free babysitting would be available whenever they needed it, the family walked them out to their car and waved to them as they drove off.

Ranger stole a glance over at Stephanie, she had a glow about her. How did she do it, he wondered. Her head was leaning back on the headrest and her eyes were closed. She looked peaceful and calm after the circus that his family had just put on for them. He watched as a smile spread across her face.

"You have the most amazing family," she said, turning her head and looking at him. "I was so nervous to meet them all at one time." He nodded, he remembered her trembling when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders after they got out of the car.

"But, they are all so sweet, and I think that Mat will love being part of this huge family."

A pride and deep happiness warmed Ranger's heart, these were things that he had never thought of before. Never expected to have. He was sure that finding Mat was a miracle that was going to change everything about his life! And he was happy about it. He reached over and held her hand in his for the rest of the trip.

It wasn't long before they drove up and parked in front of the Plum's house. Helen and Edna were both standing out on the front porch. It made both Ranger and Stephanie smile. They waited until the little family walked up the front walk before they moved out of the way and ushered them into the front room. Valerie and her family were there, the girls were giggling and straining to see the baby. Frank stood and walked right over to Ranger. He scooped up the baby, carrier and all.

"There's my boy!" he said and he took Mat to sit with him in his chair.

"Oh Frank," Helen started to say, but he stopped her with a look.

"The boy is with me for a while Helen," he said. "It might be the only time I get to see him, once you get your hands on him." He was laughing at her, as he turned his attention back to Mat. Helen looked at him for a moment longer and shrugged. He was probably right. So she turned and grabbed Stephanie to help her in the kitchen.

As they served the pineapple upside down cake, Helen asked all kinds of questions. Stephanie had to laugh, she had never seen her mother so excited about anything. "He looks so cute in that outfit Steph," Helen was saying. Then she winked at her! "I just knew that blue would be his color." "Thank you for letting him wear it today!" she said. For a moment Stephanie was stunned. And then all at once she understood. Somehow she had just been inducted into the club. She was a mother, with all that comes with it! She had never been happier!

Once Frank finally let Helen hold Mat, the girls sat close to her so that they could look at him. They were unusually quiet for a long time before Mary Alice spoke up.

"He looks a lot like Ranger," she said. "But not so much like you Aunt Stephanie."

Stephanie smiled and sat with her niece. "Let me tell you a story," she said.

Later than evening the girls said goodbye to their cousin. "You will like it here Mat," Mary Alice told him. Her face reflected wisdom beyond her years as she kissed his forehead and whispered, "We needed you to come be with us." Stephanie smiled at Valerie over the heads of the girls. They both nodded, thinking the very same thing. "Out of the mouth of babes!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	12. Chapter 12

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Revelation

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Walking to the porch with Stephanie, Helen gave her daughter a small hug. "Any time you need me…" she said softly. As she pulled away, Stephanie smiled at her and nodded. With a warm smile of her own, Helen handed her the bag of leftovers. Even though she knew that she did not need them anymore, not with Ella taking care of her, Stephanie was somehow comforted by the familiar gesture. Squeezing her mother's hand, she said her thank yous and goodbyes. Ranger had already started down the walk, Stephanie hopped down the steps and ran to catch up with him before he reached the car.

He was adjusting the carseat,and she was putting the diaper bag and the leftovers in the back, when both of their cell phones sounded. Simultaneously they pulled their phones out and looked at the screens. They each had a text message from Julie. 'Call me when you are home.' the short message read. Ranger had a concerned look on his face. He immediately pressed the preset dialer.

"Are you home?" Julie answered the call with the question.

"No," Ranger said. "Is there a problem?" he quickly asked.

"No dad, no problem… Just call me when you get home" she ended the call and Ranger stared at his phone for a moment. Perplexed.

"I guess that we had better get home," he said as he helped Stephanie into her seat. He quickly rounded the car and got in. "What could she want?" he wondered out loud.

Stephanie was looking at the message on her phone. She was as curious as Ranger, but they were going to have to wait to find out what was going on.

The moment they walked in the door, Ranger called Julie's phone.

"We're home," he simply stated when she answered.

"Oh good," Julie sounded elated. "Go to your computer. You have Skype, right?" she asked. Ranger looked over at Stephanie.

"Yes," Stephanie said, nodding at him. "I have skype." She tried to hide her smile, since Ranger looked so confused. Sitting at the table with her laptop, Stephanie smiled to see that she already had a skype message waiting for her. Within moments, the video call was connected and Ranger could hear Julie laughing.

"Hi Steph," she said, waving into the camera. "Where's dad?" she asked.

Stephanie motioned to Ranger to come sit by her, she adjusted the computer so that Julie could see him. "Oh, hi dad!" she said, nearly bubbling over with excitement. "This is great, I had an idea and I wanted you to see if it can work." Ranger nodded, both as an answer and the signal to continue.

"You know how mom said I can't get up there to see you until the end of the month?" she shrugged, and tilted her head to one side like she always did when she was disappointed. Ranger realized just how long it had been since he had seen her, he had missed those little things about her. She was growing up. Her hair was longer now and something in her face had changed, her features were not so round and soft anymore. He found himself staring at her, so glad that she was back in his life again. While he was thinking, she was still talking.

"Well, I didn't want to wait that long to meet Mat. So I thought that maybe we could get together every night and I could maybe tell him a bedtime story or something like that." Stephanie was about to tell her how much she liked that idea, but Julie kept talking.

"That way, when I finally get to visit you, Mat will know me. At least he will recognize my voice, and he'll be comfortable with me." She paused, for only a second before she asked, "Do you think that would work, will it be okay with you?" "Where is Mat right now?"

Trying not to laugh at Julie's enthusiasm, Stephanie smiled and stood. Mat was still in the portable part of his carseat, and she gently freed him from the straps. The movement woke him, but he was still tired and just cuddled into Stephanie's arms. "He's here, Julie," Stephanie said as she sat back down next to Ranger.

There was a long silence, and Stephanie glanced at the screen to see if the connection had been lost. But just then Julie sighed, "Oh, he is so cute!" "He's so tiny!" She paused once again, and then the nonstop chatter continued where she had left off.

"I have a story here, do you think this would be a good time to read it to him?" "Is he too tired?" "Do you think that this will work okay?" "Do you think that this is a good way for him to get to know me?" "I can't wait to get there to see him!"

Finally Ranger got a word in. "Yes, Jules," he said. "I think this is a great idea and Mat is lucky to have you for his big sister."

Her face looked slightly embarrassed, though they couldn't tell if she had actually blushed at his heartfelt compliment. "I love him dad," she said quietly. "Maybe I am the lucky one."

Ranger sat watching Julie on the monitor and Mat in Stephanie's arms. He was mesmerized by what he saw. His little girl, almost all grown up and now his little boy, sharing this connection. Julie read the short story, holding up the book to the camera so that Mat could see the pictures on the pages. When she was done, she blew a kiss to the baby. "Goodnight Mat," she said softly. "I love you."

Tears were in Ranger's eyes as he said goodnight to Julie and confirmed that she could Skype this same time tomorrow night. Stephanie said goodnight too, and when Julie was gone she was still looking at the screen. "She is a special kid," she said. Ranger nodded and pulled both Stephanie and Mat into his embrace. More than ever, he knew that he was the lucky one!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A career in sports was never meant to last forever, and Jasper Walters knew that he was close to being finished with his. Unlike many of his friends, he had no interest in becoming the next greatest sportscaster or on a staff of coaches working with the new up and coming athletes. He actually surprised himself when he discovered what his ambitions for his future were.

He remembers the exact moment that the idea came to him. It had been a cold and very windy game day. He was taking a break from the game, standing on the sidelines wrapped in a blanket. One of the team assistants handed him a plastic bottle filled with the usual hypotonic sports drink that his coach recommended. For the longest moment, Jasper stared at the container. His mind spinning as he recalled the many discussions that he had had with the coach and also with the team doctor. Needless to say, there had been a difference in opinion concerning the drink.

While the formulation was much better than the Gatorades and Powerades on the market, it was still not what the doctor felt was needed for optimal performance of the players. He had been listening to their arguments for years now. A smile came to his face, it was time for him to join in the debate. But he would have his own opinion to share.

Walking over to the bench, he dragged his bag from under the seat. His own bottle was filled with a proprietary blend of natural juices and minerals. Tossing the coach's drink back the assistant, he drank deeply from his bottle and then stood ready to join the game again.

Looking at his watch in the dim light from passing street lamps, Jasper inwardly groaned to see how late he was. Unavoidable delays all along his trip had put him hours behind schedule. Fortunately Richard was not worried, he would wait at the office for him to get there. Even Paul Markus was willing to wait for him. Both men were more than glad that Jasper was making the moves to take reins of the company. They just hoped that it was not too late. Something was brewing and they had not yet been able to trace exactly what was happening.

Richards patience was appreciated. Jasper was glad they had seen some promise in his initial proposal. This idea had been over a year in the making, and Jasper really thought that it was the right time for Humelik to introduce a new product line. With recent economic challenges, he hoped that it was the answer that could save his father's company.

The irony of that thought was not lost on him. He had spent so much of his life pretending that he didn't want anything to do with running the business. But now that he had found the passion of product development, he could not wait to let Ed know that the sole responsibility for the company was no longer going to be left on his shoulders.

Jasper truly thought that, given the recent kidnapping incident, that Ed would want to get as far away from the company as he could. He felt so horrible that Karl had tried for so long and had not been able to speed up the negotiations for their release. The whole company felt the relief of knowing that the men had been rescued after all that time. Now, all things considered, Jasper felt it was exactly the right time to take the helm and lead the company into the future.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dark wood in the office positively gleamed from constant polishing. The short woman in her light blue uniform stood and stretched her aching back. She hated cleaning this office. Every single surface was smooth and shiny and needed attention. The paneled walls, the cherry wood desk, the console table under the window. She spent hours shining it from top to bottom. Making sure that everything was perfect. Knowing that if it wasn't, she would be out of a job. And the truth was, she would never find employment anywhere else, he would see to that!

There was a very fine line between fear and respect when it came to this man. He demanded perfection, from himself as well as everyone around him. He was a hard man. No one would disagree with that. But fair in his own strict way. She backed out of the room, taking care not to touch what she had just spent all that time cleaning. She knew that he would be there in just an hour or two. She also knew that he expected the flawless sheen, but he would not take time to notice or appreciate it. It is just the way it had to be.

She was long gone by the time the large man entered his office. As she knew he would, he walked directly to his desk, neither inspecting nor recognizing the immaculate job she had done. He was there for one purpose and one purpose only.

As a broker for the most sophisticated and dangerous weapons of war, he dealt with unscrupulous men from countries around the globe. Always operating under assumed names, they did not know who he was, and they thought that he did not know who they were. They were wrong. He knew exactly who he was dealing with. He knew what they were capable of doing and he knew if they were able to pay the price he asked for his services. It was easy to work with these men. He understood them. Black and white. Straightforward. Even as corrupt as they all were, he preferred them to the suppliers he had painstakingly found.

These were the geniuses, scientists and other clever individuals who developed the amazing array of weapons that he bought from them to sell to the highest bidder. These creative type people, so often worked in their own little worlds. Many of them did not even know that their inventions were more effective as weapons than they would ever be as their intended purposes. The large man only had a slight regret that he was misleading these innocent people who had such humanitarian intentions. They would be appalled at the ultimate use of their work.

No, he had no use for their sentimentality. He only had a business to run. And they were the pain he had to put up with in order to be the very best at what he did. So he patiently worked with them, gently encouraging them to move the process along. With no concept of time. These people had no head for deadlines. It would be done when it was done. And they saw nothing at all wrong with doing things that way. They knew that they would finish with the final product just as soon as humanly possible, and they would get it right. That was their goal. Pure and simple.

In his custom, hand stitched italian suit, he braced his elbows on his desk and held his head in his hands. This was the first time that he had messed up. And he had done so in the most colossal way! He had a buyer, in fact he had several interested buyers for the newest chemical weapon that he had offered. The bidding was almost getting out of control. He would make more money with this one transaction than he ever had before.

His problem, his mistake was they he had not fully investigated the supplier. When Edvard Aslak had represented that his company, Humelik, was developing a serum that he could not afford to pass by, he thought that he had finally found a real company and another businessman who understood the demands of this business. Aslak was the consummate professional. He had offered the information, the estimated cost and the projected time of delivery with the confidence of a man who was in control.

Now it was fast approaching the deadline and he had nothing to show for it. On top of that, Humelik had gotten themselves into the world news lately. A dramatic kidnapping involving, among others, Aslak himself. It was the new reports themselves that had been most enlightening. Seems that he had misinterpreted exactly how much the company was involved with Aslak's ventures. That was his biggest mistake of all. Humelik was not connected to the product that he was being promised.

He hated working with more than one contact person. His deadline was the only reason that he had to work with Karl Verner. The man had tried numerous times to reach him. It was now time to find him and see exactly where they stood with the serum. He stood to make a fortune on this deal. Or have his reputation ruined. There was no happy medium.

This Karl person had tried to explain that the deadline had been pushed back only because of the unfortunate kidnapping incident that took both Ed and their key researcher away from being able to finish the formula. He went on to assure him that they would have an answer about the time frame by this time tomorrow. He had no choice, he had to wait.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dreams came unbidden and unwelcome. Curled up on the seat in the airplane, Tom Dutton twitched and turned as the images, that he usually kept hidden away, were pushing themselves into his nightmares. It had been years since he had allowed this. He had trained himself to control his mind. But some part of his brain knew that the fatigue from the kidnapping ordeal and the strain from this recent journey was to blame for the lapse in the safeguards he always had in place. It also recognized that the insane flight schedule had been on purpose. He would have done the same thing, once, but that was in another life.

He had been so young, to start out on this journey. Right out of high school, he had joined the army, something about family legacy and expectations. But he had found that he was good at it. He never enjoyed it, necessarily, but he was great at strategy and became an expert marksman. He also had something that set him apart from his father and grandfather, as well as the majority of other soldiers. He could compartmentalize his feelings, exercising incredible control over his mind. It was exactly what they needed for him to become one of the elite forces in the Rangers.

He was all that they had hoped for and more. He was a fast learner and could adapt to nearly any situation, traits that had him involved in one mission after another. At first he did everything that he was asked to do, out of loyalty, patriotism. Then it became his life, it consumed him. And it was at that point that he decided that it was not for him. They were not happy when he walked away, but that was just too bad.

Right out of the Rangers he had joined an alphabet agency. Once again, he had been chosen because he was one of the best of the best. And because he had won first prize in a science fair. Wasn't that just one of lifes little mysteries. They told him that he was uniquely qualified for this mission because of his love for and proclivity for science. He had been asked to become a scientist. To become Dr Tom Dutton. And once more, his life was consumed by his mission. By the time he realized just how much he had committed to, it was too late.

The transformation had been complete, not even his own mother would recognize him. While his height was above average at six feet, his shapeless large clothes and awkward length white lab coats gave him the appearance that he was stocky, shorter. The clothes also concealed his muscular physique that he had worked on since first joining the military.

He, like all of his brothers and sisters had the same color golden blond hair like their mother's. Tom had always kept his hair neat, but now it was a super short buzz cut. With a gel type of hair product, his hair took on a light brown appearance. And his once hazel green eyes, were now a dark chocolate brown thanks to some colored contacts. To top it off, some ugly horn rimmed glasses completely changed the look of his face. Giving him a decidedly nerdy look.

Dr Dutton had kept up this look for nearly a decade. He became a scientist and started to carefully document everything that he did. It was important to become well known in certain circles. Dr Tom Dutton, with a little help from his friends, wrote several articles for several key scientific journals. Including one based off of the writings of Dr Brian Taylor. He moved around in the research teams, getting to know as many of the men in this field as he could. After only a couple of years, his name was mentioned frequently when talk of environmental sciences came up. He was not only a brilliant researcher, but people liked him. He was a little bit quiet and never talked about himself or his own work unless specifically asked. That single fact endeared him to almost everyone he met. He was accepted and was never considered a threat to anyone else.

It had taken several government grants that allowed him to hopscotch across the islands of Indonesia, doing his research before he 'accidentally' ran into Dr Brian Taylor. The research projects that they were each working on, very conveniently complemented one another. These two scientists worked together perfectly in the islands for over three months. Then suddenly, when his research took a decided turn, Dr Taylor needed to pursue some leads with birds and insects found in the Amazon jungles as well. It turned out to be the first step in the partnership between the two doctors that led them to the contract with Humelik. In his absence, Tom was able to be sure that the correct information made it into the hands of Leo Markus and Ed Aslak

The night before he left, Brian sat under the canopy of the rain forest trees. He was still, listening to the sounds of the many birds that resided in the branches above him. He would not do so now, but he recognized the calls of nearly every bird he could hear, and could recite volumes of information about each one.

This thought did enter his mind and it caused him to smile. "What's so funny?" Tom walked out to join him and broke the silence.

"I know too much about birds," Brian said with a laugh. This was an inside joke between them and Tom smiled as he sat down on the rough wooden step.

The conversation they had was in hushed tones, a discussion about the type of research grants that were up for grabs recently. Smoothly Tom planted his seed. It was nothing more than a suggestion, but three weeks later it had grown into a full blown idea, bearing fruit. Tom knew that his friend was not shy about going after what he needed, or wanted. Brian sent Tom a message to let him know that he had already contacted the Humelik corporation and had begun negotiations for the grant they offered. Tom smiled when he got that information. Another step in the right direction. He was closer than ever to the ultimate goal of his mission. So close that he allowed himself to daydream about what he would do when he was no longer Dr Tom Dutton.

Tom awoke with a start, jerking upright, his eyes popping open. At first he did not see his dark surroundings. But after a few deep breaths, he was able to take control once more. Above his head a yellow light flashed reminding all passengers to fasten their seatbelts. The flight was nearly over. In just a few more minutes he would see if Tank was going to be able to help him.

Dragging himself from his thoughts, he reached over and tapped Brian. "Almost there," he said quietly when Brian raised his eyes to meet his. He got a nod in response, but nothing else. Tom felt so bad. He was really going to have to get the notes back to him as soon as possible. But first things first, they had to find their way out of here as quickly as possible. Tank was the only one he trusted right now. And the only reason he had was his gut feeling that they were on the same side. He had always relied on his instincts, he just hoped that they did not let him down now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just as Stephanie was starting the bedtime routine for Mat, she could not help but notice how restless Ranger seemed. He tried to hide it, offering to help, teasing Mat. But she could tell that something was wrong.

"You want to tell me about it?" she finally asked him, when he walked back into the room with a bottle for Mat. Once again he tried to hide behind a blank face, but she was having none of that. As he handed her the bottle, she grabbed his hand and pulled him down to be close to her. Kneeling next to her now, he looked into her eyes. Stephanie kissed his cheek. "We are in this together," she said softly. Ranger looked down and Mat and back at Stephanie. She was right. The days of carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders alone were over. She deserved to know what was going on.

He returned her kiss and stood. Turning back to face her, he took a deep breath. He explained about the men that Tank had talked to in DC, the scientists who had been kidnapped. He told her that a large pharmaceutical company was interested in their work, but that had complicated things for their research. The doctors were both convinced that their breakthrough was going to bring some significant changes to the medical field. He was pacing the room and Stephanie knew how serious this was to him.

He kept talking, and told her that some other groups had become interested in the formula for the substance that had been discovered. These people had no intention of safely using the serum. Unfortunately no one knew just how close that the doctors were to perfecting the serum. Gene had been trying to sift through their notes and research to determine if there was a final product ready to go. Unfortunately, he had incomplete data to work with.

This put the doctors in great danger. They were coming here. Tank had arranged for them to be taken to a safe house. And sometime soon, they were going to have to figure out what they were dealing with. At this point, Ranger took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Stephanie rose, Mat was onher shoulder and she motioned to Ranger to follow her. "Let's take a field trip, shall we?" she asked sweetly. She instinctively knew that he wanted to be in on the efforts to come up with answers. And the best place to do that was down with the activity on the fifth floor. She walked out of the room, not looking back to see if he was following her. She didn't have to, she could feel that this is exatcly what he needed to do.

With a bemused look on his face, he did in fact follow her. He was able to change his expression before they stepped onto the elevator, but not before she saw it. He wondered, again, how he got so lucky to be loved by this woman.

it was getting late, most of the lights in the comm room were dimmed. the glow from the monitoring screen created an eerie atmosphere. By comparison, the lights in the corner were practically blazing. Gene was there, moving between his computer and stacks of papers. Without hesitation, Stephanie and Ranger headed in his direction.

When Gene heard their approach, he looked up and was surprised. "Ranger," he said, standing up straight. "Stephanie," he nodded in her direction. And then a slight smile lifted his lips. "Mat," he said.

Stephanie smiled at him. "How's it going down here?" she asked him almost conversationally. She knew that she would not understand the technical explanation of what he was doing. But she knew that this was important work. As she knew they would, Ranger and Gene started to discuss the progress, and the frustration of trying to find the answers.

As the men talked, she took Mat on a little tour of the area. There were papers everywhere. The books that were stacked on the floor looked like scientific text books. Some were open with notes scribbled on the pages. At first she was shocked, then she suppressed a smile. Never in her life had she been able to bring herself to write in a text book, or any other book for that matter. On the contrary, she tried to read books so carefully that she did not even cause a crease in the spine, keeping them new looking for as long as possible.

Gene was still trying to show Ranger what the problems was, and Stephanie did not understand half of what he was saying, so she turned her attention to one of the long tables piled with papers. It was a very tidy mess. The papers were in separated piles. And it was one of these piles that attracted her interest. Each page looked like it had been crumpled up at one point. Like they had been balled up and thrown away. Someone had smoothed them out again.

She stared at them, they were familiar. She looked up at Ranger. He caught her look and held up his hand in a signal to Gene. Slowly he walked over to the table, standing beside Stephanie as she pointed to the stack of papers. With the question written on his face he turned to her.

"This is the same kind of paper that Maria used to write her story on," she simply said.

Ranger nodded slowly. Gene looked on with a shocked expression. "There are more of these papers somewhere?" he tentatively asked. Ranger looked at him, still nodding.

A piece of the puzzle fell into place. They would never have known that Maria had to use only what she had. In those lonely months of captivity, she stole every moment she could to share her history with her baby. She had started recording her history by using leger pages, out of the book left from her fathers business. But trapped in that hut, she only had the pages that she had gathered up from the floor in the lab. At the same time that she knew they were probably very important, nothing was as urgent as putting down her family story for her child. She wrote on the blank sides of every paper that she had saved, even the wrinkled ones that she tried to smooth out as best she could.

Without another word, Ranger returned to the apartment and grabbed Maria's story. After making copies of the pages, he handed the box to Gene. Like a kid in a candy store, he immediately started sorting through them, pulling out this one or that one as he scanned the scribbled notes.

"This is it," he said under his breath. He had forgotten that Stephanie and Ranger were still there. HE turned to his computer and started tapping the keys furiously. Suddenly he leaned back in his chair. Staring at the screen, he held his breath. "They have the formula," he said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	13. Chapter 13

A/N...

I want to thank you all so much! I have loved all of your reviews and comments more than I can say! It has been a great experience sharing this story with you! Although this chapter is not quite complete, it is what I can give you for now. I hope you can be patient with me. My husband is in the CCU in the hospital with an infection. Real life it taking over for a while. But I will be finishing the story, it may just take a few more days before I can get back to it. Thanks for understanding. See you soon.

Sandra.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Determination

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harsh sunlight streamed in through the kitchen window. Helen sat looking helplessly at her mother who was sitting across from her with the phone receiver in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she stood and grabbed the phone and slammed it into its cradle on the wall. Once again she sank back into her chair closing her eyes to the glare of the sun hitting her full in the face.

Gossip in the burg was something that was hard… no, it was impossible to get around. Helen had had more than her fair share of stories circulating about the members of her family. Particularly about Stephanie. She almost understood the fascination and the nearly morbid curiosity that people seemed to have about her job that resulted in Stephanie dragging in some horrible people to the police station or having one car after another blowing up. After all it was not your normal run of the mill job. But it had always made Helen so angry, these stories going around made it look like Stephanie was some kind of bumbling amateur. Didn't they know that these things happening to her were real? That her daughter was in danger when they happened? She could have been killed any number of times. Didn't they care? She could feel the ire inside of her growing,filling her chest with an increasing pressure. She had put up with these rumors for so long.

Well, now Helen was just pissed off. For days now, rumors were circulating about the spending spree that Stephanie had gone on before the arrival of her new son. The gossip grapevine was full of malicious questions about her daughter. Who had knocked her up? How far along is she? She was not married was she? What kind of lifestyle had she been leading? Hadn't she ever heard of birth control? Would being pregnant require her to leave her job? Was that why she quit? And on and on.

Well-meaning friends were keeping her informed of all these horrible things that were being said, and Helen had had enough. She would not say one word in response. Not even to these 'friends' who kept calling. As far as Helen was concerned, if they were talking about it, they were not her friends nor were they Stephanie's friends.

The people who needed to know the situation, did. Pure and simple. Everyone else could go to hell! Helen finally did something that she had been meaning to do for a very long time. She took the Buick and drove over to the Quaker Bridge mall. In front of anyone who wanted to see, she picked out a cell phone. In fact she bought three of them. She knew that it would be next to impossible to get these numbers, since they would not be listed in the phone book. 'Good luck trying to get through to me now' she triumphantly thought as she drove home. The very first call made from her new cell phone was the one to the phone company to discontinue service on the land-line that she had already ripped out of the wall.

"Proud of you, mom!" Stephanie said, almost laughing out loud when Helen called to give her the cellphone numbers. She had been suggesting this very thing for the longest time now. It was good to see that the message had finally gotten through. This would simplify things so much for her parents, not to mention her grandma. She couldn't be more pleased with the change.

As for the rumors, Stephanie had taken herself out of the loop when she quit Vinnie's. She was now surrounded by people who loved her and who would protect her from the gossip mill. Unlike the girls at the bond office, none of her friends here would even think of repeating the things that they no doubt heard every day. They knew that, not only were they not true, but that it would hurt Stephanie to hear them. And they would not allow that to happen.

Until this call from her mother, Stephanie had not even thought about the gossip that seemed to follow her around everywhere. She had not missed it, and when it occurred to her that the guys had been shielding her from it all, tears came to her eyes. It was not as if she needed one, but here was yet another reason that she loved her RangeMan family so much.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"He is one of us!" he stated firmly. Without knocking, Rodriguez walked right into Tank's office and handed him a piece of paper. "You were right and Silvio confirmed it," he said pointing to the paper that Tank now held in his hands.

"Damn," Tank said slowly while reading the information. "He was a legend," he said in a voice filled with the reverence of respect. "We all knew about 'Vapour' when we were in the Rangers." Tank sank back in his big leather chair. He stared at the page no longer seeing what was printed there. Stories of the incredible missions that Vapour had led were coming to the front of his mind. The guy was a chameleon, adapting to every situation, blending in so completely he nearly disappeared. That ability had earned him the nickname. In one form or another, every one of the Rangers that he knew had learned something from Vapour, even his good friend Ranger.

As much as he'd had a thought in the back of his mind that he was right, never had he imagined that it was someone like this that they had found. Tank let his lips curve into a smile. Good to know that the ol' instincts are still working! He'd had a feeling about Tom from the first moment that they had met.

"How deep undercover is he?" Tank asked, tossing the paper to the desk. "Are we going to be ruining anything by meeting them at the airport"

Suddenly it was even more important than ever to get this right. As much as they needed to help Tom, they were also hoping for some of his help as well. The work that Gene had been doing had uncovered some unbelievable data, with a little help from Stephanie's uncanny ability to see the finest details. But now that they had some answers, it was even more imperative that the doctors knew what they were up against.

They could only guarantee a positive outcome of this situation if they all worked together. Up to this point, Tank had done his best to keep the doctors protected. Now he would see it through and get them the best care that he could.

Ella and Louis had already helped to prepare one of the RangeMan safehouses closeby in Trenton. But now Tank was not sure if he wanted them even that far away. He hated to do it, but he was going to have to ask Ella to get the vacant apartment here in the building ready. Now that he thought about it, he knew that keeping them close would be best. It couldn't hurt to have them here where Bobby would be on the premises and available anytime they needed him.

With less than a couple of hours to go, Tank made some final decisions and started the preparations for the arrival of Drs Taylor and Dutton. The flight would be arriving close to midnight. And now the team was getting ready. They would be there, in plain clothes, to blend in. The doctors would be whisked away from the airport as quickly as possible. But Tank would not be able to rest until they were safely in the building.

Drawing a large hand over his face, he nearly groaned. He knew that the men were going to be near exhaustion by the time they got here. He felt bad about that. But it had been a necessary move to create the unpredictable flight plans to shake the tail that Tank had seen following the doctors in DC. He was pretty sure that it had worked. But they would only know for certain after they were home from the airport.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Military style canvas bags all look the same. At least they did to Stephanie. The ones Ranger used were always black, of course, with straps and zippers everywhere. With her first glance at it, she thought that it seemed to be bigger than most, but other than that, it looked pretty standard. Ranger noticed immediately that this one now sitting on the couch was not one of his. In fact, with just one look he seemed to know a lot more about it that she would have thought possible.

They had not seen the bag when they had returned to the apartment earlier, their focus had been in the kitchen, with Julie on the computer. Now that they moved into the living room to relax, the big black bag demanded all of their attention.

Ranger approached the bag slowly. He actually knew that the contents could prove to be an emotional time bomb, not just for Stephaine, but for himself as well. Tank had told him what he had found in Tiputini. In light of the letters that they had both read from Maria, he was not sure how much this was going to affect them.

Stephanie seemed to notice his hesitation. "I think that I will put this sleepy boy to bed," she said as she stood to walk toward the bedroom. He reached out and gently pulled her to him and kissed Mat's forehead.

"Goodnight mi hijito," he said softly. Then he kissed Stephanie's cheek, smiling at her and simply nodding his head as she left. Then he turned back to the bag. He grabbed the zipper tab and haltingly pulled it, to open the top of the bag. By the time he had spread the sides apart, Stephanie had returned, she sat down by his side.

"What have you got there?" she asked, noting the concerned look in his face. Ranger's hand hovered over the bag, seemingly suspended in motion. It was beginning to worry Stephanie. She reached out and took his hand in hers, pulling it toward her lap. "What's wrong Carlos?" she asked quietly.

He turned his head to look into her concerned eyes. He mentally kicked himself for acting so uncertain about this. Everything about this was unusual, but that did not mean that he should have made her so anxious. He attempted a smile, and leaned in to give her a soft kiss.

"We have a few things that Maria left behind with her friends," he said softly. He watched as her eyes widened. He was wondering what she would be thinking about all of this, and just as he was about to ask, she surprised him again.

"That's great, this will be a chance to get to know Maria a little bit better..." she said. It was not exactly a question. She said it with a trace of wonder in her voice. "Do you know what is in there?" she asked.

A soft, warmth spread throughout him. That was exactly right, she had seen just what this could mean to them. Maybe with that attitude, this would not be nearly as upsetting as he had imagined it could be. Ranger lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. He nodded.

"Tank told me about it, lets see what we have," he said, lightening his mood and gently lifting out the small blanket that was folded on top.

Woven in earthy shades of brown and muted greens, the soft blanket had symmetrical patterns of leafy vines intricately woven throughout. Stephanie drew in a slow breath that she seemed to hold as she looked on in appreciation.

"Its amazing," she said as she let the breath escape. As she was taking in the beautiful design and the hand dyed colors of the yarns that had been used, she saw something glint in the light. She turned the blanket over.

"What is that on the corner?" she asked, pointing to a small paper pinned to the blanket.

Now it was Ranger's turn to hold in a breath as he unfastened the note and read the words scribbled on the scrap of paper.

"Maria made this," he said. "The note was from her mother in law, telling her that she had learned the techniques well," he swallowed before continuing. "And that she was so proud of the beautiful job she had done."

Stephanie nodded and smoothed her hand over the soft fibers. "She probably made this for Mat," she said with wonder in her voice. "Before…" she stopped, unable to finish that thought.

Kissing her cheek, Ranger pulled Stephanie close and held her. No matter what, this was going to be emotional. Maybe this was not the right time to do this.

"We can wait until another time… he started to say, but she was shaking her head.

"No, we should do this now," she said, and motioned to him to get the next item from the bag. She watched him closely as he pulled out a worn leather satchel. It might be hard to think of the things that happened to her, but Maria deserved for Mat to have these things that obviously meant so much to her

He handed it to her. It was full, so she began to pull things out one by one. She set several pouches of varying sizes on the coffee table. A wooden box and a bundle of pens and pencils were next. Carefully she checked the pockets in the lining of the bag. Several more things joined the others on the table.

Together they examined the items that were so carefully collected in the bag. The Jewelry, the hair clips, the money. Stephanie looked it all over, and she had to think that Maria had been keeping everything that she owned with her in the bag. She placed it all in the bag and handed it back to Ranger.

He pulled out a few more things and laid them on the table. Stephanie opened up the larger blanket and was amazed at the intricacy of the design. Stylized patterns depicted a scene by a river. A large moon hung in the sky above and a large water lily was centered in the water.

"Oh, look at this," she whispered. After one glance, Ranger recognized the scene. The legend had been in one of Maria's collections of special stories. Her notes to Mat told him that this legend was special to his home. Water Lilies were prized for their beauty and their place in the folk lore. Even the name 'Estrellita' came from this tale about the special flower. It was no wonder that this would be the subject of many works of art. He smiled and turned to Stephanie.

"Would you like to hear a story?" he asked her with a smile. He related the legend of the star princess and her warrior moon. Directing her attention to the design on the blanket more than once. Stephanie was mesmerized by the poignant tale. She imagined that it was a bedtime story that had been told many times through the generations in the village. She knew that it was going to be a story that she and Ranger would tell to Mat.

After the telling of the tale was done, Stephanie turned to look at Ranger. "There are some beautiful treasures here," she finally said. "But nothing here is as precious or valuable as the history that Maria left for Mat."

Ranger couldn't agree more. Maria's love and her fighting spirit were Mat's inheritance. They would carefully save these items for him, but learning the stories of his family and appreciating the legends of his homeland would be the much more valuable.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	14. Chapter 14

A/N

I want to thank you so much! I appreciated all of your support and prayers. My husband had emergency surgery, and spent a week in the hospital. We are now back home. He is improving every day. Things will not exactly be 'normal' again for a while, but we are making progress. :) Thank you again, your kind words meant so much to me!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Journey

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Following the GPS planted in the Tic Tac box, the men knew that the plane was on schedule. They would be leaving to go to the airport in just a few minutes. With the last minute changes, Tank had a final chat with Ranger, to be sure that everyone was on the same page. Because of the contact that Tank had already had with the men, he would definitely be one of the team. But it was decided that they only wanted to send the minimal number of men, so that they would not overwhelm the doctors. Ranger would wait for them here. The team met up at the garage. The next phase of the rescue operation had begun.

Light from the street lamps and passing cars slanted into the cab of the truck. Tank smiled at the bright red shirt that he was wearing. It was not often that he wore his civilian clothing while on the job, but they needed to blend into the crowds tonight. Well, as well as they could anyway. Tank would never exactly blend in, but he knew that he needed to be there to meet the doctors at the airport. Tom knew him, and Brian had met him, chances were good that he would be one of the only people that they trusted right now.

Dr Tom Dutton a.k.a. Colonel Tanner Drake would have skills that would help him fight his fatigue, but he knew that even he was in a very weakened condition and Tank felt the need to get them back to RangeMan as quickly as possible.

The moment they arrived at the airport, Lester and Hal moved quickly to the gate to see the men get off the plane. They were to follow the doctors to where Tank would meet them. Bobby was here for any medical emergency that might happen and to start his assessment of their condition. The small team was ready and in place by the time the plane had landed.

It was late. Tom impatiently looked at his watch only to see that it had not moved much in the last sixty seconds. He glanced over at Brian again. With his head laid back on the seat, and his arms wrapped tightly around his waist, Tom knew that the injuries he had suffered were still causing him enormous pain. This journey had not been easy on him. But he was still convinced that it had been absolutely necessary to get them into safe hands. The flight plans they made had skipped them around so much that they had finally lost the man who had been following them since they were in DC.

Tom was grateful for Tank and his 'escape' plan. He recognized the tactics. He had played this game before. A smile played on his lips. It may have been quite some time since he had been the field, but he was glad that his instincts were as sharp as ever. It was still easy to recognize the qualities of a Ranger, and Tom was sure that Tank was one of the best.

The overhead lights inside the cabin of the plane were turned on after landing. They were blindingly bright to Brian. Tom watched as he closed his eyes tight and leaned forward, and resting his head on the seat in front of him. He was in bad shape and Tom was getting worried. They sat there quietly and waited until the entire plane had emptied. No sense in racing the crowds and getting jostled around in the process. Their position in the back row gave them opportunity to watch everyone leave, and when it was time, Tom helped Brian out of his seat and down the long aisle to make this last leg of the journey.

As they left gate, Tom spotted the two men who were waiting for them. They did not approach, so he knew that they were there to ensure that no one was still following them. Tom had to smile when, halfway down the concourse he saw Tank. It was hard to miss this man, and he had never been so happy to see anyone before in his entire life.

Bobby took his place alongside Brian and helped him to the truck. Lester and Hal patiently waited in their truck until Tank pulled away from the curb. They were on their way, a smooth operation with no problems. Tom watched the large man behind the wheel, he pulled the Tic Tacs from his pocket. "Nice technique," he said. Earning a smile from Tank. "How did you know that I would figure it out?" he asked.

Tank didn't even hesitate to respond. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger, Sir," he said. Glancing over at him briefly, he continued. "But I would like to have spared you from that little trip back to Ecuador."

It was Tom's turn to smile. "Yeah, me too," he said. "Guess my skills were getting a bit rusty."

By the time they reached RangeMan, Bobby knew exactly what needed to be done to help both Tom and Brian recover from their ordeal. It would require some long term attention, especially for Brian. So instead of taking them both to the infirmary, Bobby had set up what he needed in the apartment. They would be much more comfortable there.

He was particularly concerned about Dr Taylor, who was now slumping in his seat looking completely drained of all energy. Bobby was more than ready to get him to RangeMan and get him what he needed to recover. He just didn't realize, yet, just what it would take to make Brian feel much better.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the dim light coming from the hallway, Stephanie watched Mat sleep. The rise and fall of Mat's little chest let her know that he was breathing, the soft sounds so quiet that she could hardly hear them. This was something that she found herself doing more and more often. She knew that some of her initial fears, about caring for a baby, brought her in here to keep watch over him. It was somehow comforting to sit here in the large rocking chair and see that he was okay, that he was doing just fine.

These moments were not frequent, and usually only happened when Ranger was not here with them. Like now. He was downstairs in his office. Stephanie knew that he was waiting for some very important people to arrive. She also knew that something was making him nervous about these visitors. That is what had kept her sitting here, rocking and waiting, unable to sleep.

It had been hours since Ranger had helped Mat fall asleep and kissed her goodnight. And here she still sat, watching Mat. Letting her imagination take off in wild tangents, wondering who was coming here tonight, and worrying about why they were here. Stephanie had sensed the tension in Ranger's shoulders. It was one of the only signs that he had given that he was worried. She wouldn't even had noticed that, if it had not been for the hug she gave him as he left. It was her fingertips that brushed over his taut shoulder muscles that brought it to her attention.

The way he smiled at her as he left, did not allow her to ask him what was happening. He was trying to protect her from something, and she had no idea what it was. So, here she was, waiting for him. her own shoulders now carrying the weight of her worry.

Suddenly she stood and walked from the room. If watching Mat couldn't ease this tension, she would find another way. Soon she found herself in the kitchen, making tea. No surprise, she chose to make Ranger's favorite kind, Spicy Chai. It always smelled so good, and it now reminded her of him. Stephanie took the steaming cup to the living room and sat on the couch. With both hands wrapped around the mug, she stared out of the window. The moon was still large enough to cast the silvery glow she had become so fond of.

Once again, her thoughts took off in crazy directions. By the time she finally stopped them long enough to concentrate on the hot beverage that she held in her hands, it had cooled enough to drink without burning her lips. After her first sip, Stephanie smiled, now she knew why this was his first choice of tea. It was so flavorful she did not even miss the sugar that she had forgotten to add to it. For a few minutes she allowed it to distract her. Savoring the warmth, and the obvious connection that it gave her to her husband.

But before long, her restlessness returned and she found herself wandering around the apartment, idly searching for something, anything, to keep her mind off of whatever was happening downstairs. In the middle of the night. Her wanderings took her to the desk in the small office that Ranger kept up here. Stephanie sat in the over-sized leather chair and wrapped herself in the subtle scent of leather and Bulgari. She picked up a pile of papers from the corner of the desk and placed them on her lap. One by one she glanced at them as she returned each page to it's original spot. As she placed the last paper on top of the pile, her eyes opened in surprise.

Her attention had not been on the contents of the information she had just looked through. In fact, she had hardly noticed that her hands were keeping themselves busy playing with the stack of papers. But finally something registered in the back of her mind. She lifted the top sheet and looked at it again. The glossy photo told a story all by itself, and she could not hold back a smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Walking through the empty rooms, Ella looked over every detail. This was the third time she had come in to be sure everything was ready. She was being a little bit paranoid. It had actually been ready hours ago, shortly after Tank had asked her to change her plans and fix up this apartment.

Ella stood in the kitchen, she had now stocked the fridge and cupboards. The bathroom cabinets were filled with the supplies that Bobby had requested, and she had even helped to bring some equipment from the infirmary and set it up in the bedrooms. Again, at Bobby's request.

So many strange things were happening lately. Ella knew the RangeMan business well enough to know not to ask too many questions. She knew that for her own safety, all the information that she needed, to do her job, would be given to her. Still, she could not help but wonder what was going on that would bring people, who would have needed a safe house, right here to the building. Something big was going down and she was now putting pieces of the puzzle together.

Before those pieces actually formed a picture in her mind, Ella gave herself a huge eye roll. Louis would be laughing at her curiosity. "Ella the spy is on the job" he would tease her with his nickname for her. And of course, he would be the only one who could distract her long enough that the unsolved mysteries didn't drive her crazy.

Suddenly Ella heard the noise as the men entered the door. She moved around the counter to see if she could help, but quickly stepped back as Bobby entered half carrying a tall man. Tank followed right behind with another man, and within minutes Bobby had directed both of his patients into their rooms. Within minutes, he had them situated and comfortably resting as he started seeing to their care.

With nothing more that she could do, Ella slipped out and made her way back home. Still, the questions swirled around in her mind. Who were these men? Why were they here? And was there anything that she could do to help them? It would not be long before she had answers to all of those questions and more that she had not even thought of yet.

The minute that the trucks returned, Ranger was informed and he started to make his way down to the apartment. When he arrived, he watched for a moment as Bobby was prepping Dr Taylor for an IV. It was obvious that he was still severely dehydrated and weak from months of abuse. His short time in DC was not nearly long enough to get him back into good health. Completely exhausted, he had fallen asleep as soon as he was helped into bed. Ranger nodded at Bobby and kept walking down the hallway to the other bedroom. As he approached, he could hear Tank and Dr Dutton quietly talking. Ranger entered the room and both men looked up at him. He exchanged a look with Tank before turning his attention to the other man.

"Colonel," Ranger said. Dr Dutton nodded in response. Being acknowledged as anything other than his current identification as the doctor was not something that he was accustomed to anymore. It had been so long. A slow smile lit up his face. It really felt good. After all this time, it truly felt great!

"Thank you for that" Tom said, nodding once more at Ranger. He looked back and forth between the two large men and his smile grew, he suddenly felt right at home.

"Of course, I will still be going by the name of Tom Dutton for the duration of the mission," he said. Both men nodded in acknowledgement. They knew it would be that way, they had just wanted to honor the man whose legend had meant so much to them when they joined the Special Forces.

After a brief discussion, Ranger shook Tom's hand and left the room. On the way out, he checked in once more on Dr Taylor. He stopped at the doorway and Bobby gave him a short nod as he walked in. The doctor was now receiving fluids through his IV and was peacefully sleeping with the help of some pain killers. Bobby quietly explained his concerns and let Ranger know that he would be staying with both patients through the rest of the night.

Just then, Tom called out to Ranger. He was walking down the hall toward him. "May I have a word? In private?" Tom asked. Ranger felt his heart clench, he was pretty sure that he did not want to have this conversation. From the moment that Tom Dutton woke up and told his story, everyone knew that he had been in love with Maria. Ranger was just not sure how serious their relationship had been. Had she also been deeply in love with him? Did she want him to raise her son?

Remembering his recurring nightmares, Ranger almost forgot to breath. Over and over again he had seen Maria seeking Tom out in the jungle camps. He saw her pleading with Tom to promise her that he would take care of her baby. He had never told anyone about these bad dreams. But now he was worried. Was this it? What did Tom want to talk to him about?

They sat down in the living room. Neither of them turned on any lights. The glow from the night sky came in from the window and gave just enough light that they could see. Tom took a moment to stare into Ranger's eyes. Almost as if he was assessing something. All Ranger could do was return the look, his blank face firmly in place so that his emotions would not show.

"We have a decision to make," Tom said. This did nothing to put Ranger's mind at ease.

"Tank tells me that tomorrow you will have to go to DC for your debriefing." Tom took in a deep breath. His ribs still ached, so he carefully moved to lean against the back of the couch to ease the pain. Ranger was watching him closely. Where was this leading?

"There is a matter we need to discuss before you talk to the powers that be." Tom said. Ranger only nodded. His throat felt tight, he wouldn't have been able to speak in that moment, even if he wanted to. This was not going at all like he had hoped. It was sounding more and more like he was going to drop the bomb on him at anytime. Was he getting ready to tell him that he was going to take Mat?

With some difficulty, Ranger swallowed and kept his eye on Tom who was entirely unaware of the turmoil going on inside of him. Tom was finding this discussion a little bit complicated himself. He knew that they had worked hard here at RangeMan to make things operate smoothly. He did not want to come in and have it seem like he was throwing his weight around, but it was imperative that they all understand exactly where he was coming from.

"Mat has a family here," Ranger said, at the same moment that Tom spoke.

"The research stays lost," Tom said.

Surprised looks appeared on both of their faces. Ranger was so relieved that he nearly shouted. "You are worried about your research that we brought here?" he asked.

"You have the baby here?" Tom quietly asked. Ranger's relief faded quickly as he nodded.

"I didn't know," Tom said.

As if a shadow crossed over his face, Tom became sad and looked down at the floor as he whispered his fears of those last several days before they were rescued. "I couldn't help her," he said. "She was going to have the baby, and we could not help her. Brian and I were beaten unconscious for days in a row." He was shaking his head. He never wanted to feel that helpless again.

Memories came flooding back. He had done the one thing that he had never allowed to happen ever before. He had fallen in love with a woman. From the first moment that he had seen her, peeking around the stack of boxes in the doorway of the lab, his heart had gone out to her. Tom knew it the moment that he lost himself in her eyes. To use his mother's quaint term, he was smitten! The whole time that they worked at the lab together, the attraction pulled at him, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not fight it.

On the day that they had been kidnapped, his heart broke. Just like Maria did, he knew that he may not make it out of this situation alive. There was nothing that his captors needed from him. There were no negotiations, not with him, not with Humelik. These men were desperate. They didn't want to be here, and they really had no skills to play the kidnapping game. As a result, they avoided trouble by keeping their victims unconscious and incapacitated as much as they could.

Even though they tried to keep them away from each other by locking them into separate huts, Tom did not let that stop him. As often as he could, he found a way to sneak out of his hut to find Maria. Every time he made his way into her hut, he would silently sit in the corner holding her in his arms. For a few stolen minutes at a time they could ignore the harsh reality of the world around them and just be together. In those moments, he could almost believe that the power of their love would see them through it all.

But Tom could feel how fragile she was getting, and it worried him. He knew that she was fierce and strong when she needed to protect her baby, and when she showed him her love. Maria was a fighter, but many times as they clung to one another, he wondered if it was a fight that they could win. The one thing he never wanted to do was to fail her. It was the one thing in his life that he had no control over.

Ranger watched Tom closely for a few minutes. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts, and that only gave Ranger the chance to worry, to wonder what Tom might want to do about Mat. Just as he was forming the questions to ask him, Tom looked up at him and spoke.

"You have given him a family?" he asked.

Ranger nodded. The moment Tom had said the word family, he knew that everything was going to be alright. "My wife Stephanie and I have adopted him," he told Tom.

"She would have wanted that," Tom said. "Maybe I could see him sometime?" It was as much of a statement as it was a question. He would like to see Maria's child, but he knew that he was not ready , yet, for the emotions that it would bring.

Tom's energy was fading fast. Ranger understood. He knew how he would feel if he had lost Stephanie. Without a word, Ranger led Tom back to his room. They had said what needed to be said. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about the questions that still hovered over them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	15. Chapter 15

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Possibility

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The building was relatively quiet at three o'clock in the morning. The night crew would be sitting in the near dark, watching the monitors, the glow of the computers giving off most of the light in the room. Ranger imagined that Gene might be there again too, still working on last minute calculations before the team had to take the trip into DC for their debriefing. Gene would be as relieved as everyone else that the information they uncovered would remain here. Tom was right, this was something that needed to be treated with the utmost care. Ranger paused at the stairwell door leading to the fifth floor, but he did not open it. His restless thoughts kept him from wanting to do anything other than get back home.

The conversation he'd had with Tom played over in his mind. With this enormous weight lifted from his chest, Ranger made his way home. He couldn't wait to hold Stephanie in his arms. It was the only thing that he wanted to think about now, as he walked up the stairs. His heart went out to Tom. Losing someone you love is the worst kind of tragedy. He could not even imagine what it would do to him if he lost Stephanie. Far from feeling the immense relief, like he had after talking to Tom, all of the anxieties that he'd had before seemed to come back to him ten fold.

In his mind he had come so very close to losing Mat to Tom, the possibility of it happening had felt very real. As grateful as he was that it did not happen, he had felt the fear, and he had kept his feelings about it from Stephanie. It had been his way of protecting her from the pain of that scenario. She would have felt terrible about losing Mat, it felt like the right thing to do, to protect her from the anguish that it would have caused her.

He should feel great right now. Everything was working out the way it should. His new family was together, safe. He wanted to share his relief, this happiness with Stephanie. But how could he tell her what had happened, without admitting that he had kept this all to himself. How was it possible to feel such joy and such agony at the same time.

None of his worries had been resolved by the time he reached the seventh floor. With a slight hesitation, he pushed open the door. There were no lights on, but he could see Stephanie in the living room as soon as he walked in. The glow of the moon outlined her hair in a silver halo, taking his breath away. His Stephanie, his wife, was there waiting up for him.

"Carlos," she whispered anxiously when she saw him walking toward her. As if she needed his touch as much as he needed hers, she jumped up and ran into his outstretched arms. There were no words spoken for a long time. It was enough just to hold one another.

Finally, Stephanie desperately whispered the worry that she had been holding onto all night. "Carlos, you are scaring me. What's wrong?"

His arms tightened around her and he held her even closer. She could feel his chest rise and fall with a deep breath before he said anything. He tucked his head into her neck. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, and it made her tremble slightly. The movement seemed to draw his attention back from his thoughts. "I never want to lose you," he said in a raspy voice. "And I never want Mat to be taken from us."

His words were not what she expected to hear. He would never lose her. How could he think that would ever happen? And why would someone take Mat? How could they? He had been legally adopted by them. Questions and fears now bombarded her thoughts. "How?' she asked, her voice revealing the anxiety now rising in her chest, asking about the only question that she was unsure about. "How would anyone take Mat?"

He did not respond immediately, but Stephanie could feel the tension increase in his muscles. After a few deep breaths, he started to explain the situation with Tom Dutton. Stephanie had her arms wrapped around his waist and her head leaning against his chest as she listened to him. She did not say anything. She knew she needed to hear everything that he had to say if she was going to understand what had made him so upset. His voice was low and pained as he explained the fears that he'd had.

She realized that he had been worrying about this all the time that he had been back. But he had not said one word. The enormity of the situation made her heart stop and she took in a deep breath to rein in her feelings. Her Italian temper was only controlled by holding onto that breath. She wanted to explode. Stephanie started to pull away from him. Heat was building up in her chest, in her brain. She knew that she was approaching the boiling point. This was exactly the kind of thing that had always made her so angry.

Even if Ranger thought that he was protecting her from pain or sorrow, he had to know that keeping these kinds of things from her would only hurt her more in the end. She was about to tell him that he couldn't do that to her, to them. It was too important. He couldn't just go ahead and make decisions on his own that affected her too. He had to learn to share these things, to talk to her.

As much as she had been willing to start this relationship with him, to be married to him, have a family with him, it was not going to work if he didn't understand how important it was to her that he communicate with her. About everything.

The pressure mounted, until she could feel the steam ready to blow the top right off. His grip on her loosened as she pulled back, and she looked up into the dark eyes that were staring at her, imploring her to understand. The breath she had been holding in left in a small rush, compassion suddenly replacing irritation.

The pain, the worry, the agony that he had gone through was written all over his face. It broke her heart. And in that moment, the fury was completely gone, somehow she knew that he had acted to protect her. But she knew that it had cost him dearly. He had done it out of love, and she found that she loved him all the more for it.

Their relationship as husband and wife was new, to both of them. She would help him understand that she needed him to share, to trust her. But right now, he needed her comfort. Her unconditional love. Stephanie placed her hand along the side of his face. He leaned into her caress. His eyes still locked with hers. She did love him. More that anything in the world. Enough to understand.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close once again. With her lips close to his ear, she whispered words of comfort, words of love. Her hands smoothed over back, feeling his tight muscles slowly release the tension that had built up with his anxiety. "I love you," she said again.

Ranger pulled away just enough to look once more into her eyes. He understood. It was all clear, it was written in her gaze. How easy it had always been to read her emotions. It was a gift that Stephanie gave him, even if she didn't know it. Ranger kissed her gently and pulled her back into his embrace. "Thank you," he whispered. She nodded and held him tight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the corner of the room, he stood with his hands clenched into fists. His mind and gut tangled in an unease that he was not used to, Bobby watched Brian Taylor. He no longer appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Bobby knew that the only thing allowing him to get any sleep at all was the sedative that he'd had to give him.

He started pacing the room, worried about his patient, wondering what was making the man so anxious. His mental state had much more to do with his recovery than anything that Bobby could do for him medically. How was he going to find out what was bothering the doctor?

In another room, Tom Dutton was also experiencing a sleepless night. Despite his talk with Ranger, or perhaps because of it, he could not make his mind shut off. He was still facing the dilemma that had kept him from telling Brian that the research was safe. From the moment that they had seen the empty shelves behind the locker in the lab, Brian had become more and more upset. It was affecting his health to the point that he was not sure he would recover easily.

It was not fair to let him go on this way. But what was he going to do? He had still not come up with a good reason for Tank and RangeMan to have all of their notes. If he was not careful, his cover would be blown and what he had been working toward for years would be in jeopardy. Taking a deep breath, he stared up in the darkness. This was useless, he was not going to get any sleep while this was on his mind. He grabbed the covers and flung them off to the side. Drawing in a deep breath, Tom sat up. Brian had become much more than a colleague, he was a friend, and in many ways, Tom had become the brother that Brian never had.

Hearing some movements in Brian's room, Tom got out of bed and made his way down the hall to the open doorway. He could see Bobby walking around the room. In the dim light, he could not see the expression on his face, but his body language was all about frustration. It was time, Tom had to do something. Taking a deep breath for courage, he boldly took a step into the room, grabbing Bobby's attention immediately.

"Is anything wrong?" Bobby asked quickly. Tom shook his head.

"Do you have a minute?" Tom asked, as he motioned with his head in the direction of the living room. Bobby looked a Brian briefly, then nodded and followed Tom down the short hallway and to the couches in the front room. Again, neither one turned on the lights, they were content to sit in the semi darkness.

"I have a story to tell you," Tom said. "And at the end, you can tell me what we should do."

Bobby gave him a surprised expression and motioned for him to start talking. Bobby knew that Tom was Colonel Drake, a former Ranger. He was also aware of the findings of Gene's study of Tom's and Brian's research that Lester found. He knew that there had been several conspiracy theory's being tossed around, along with some pretty believable scenarios that had been put together. Much of what Tom was saying was expected. Until Tom looked right into his eyes and told him about Brian.

What Tom said made sense. Tom knew what Brian was feeling and it was perfectly understandable given the circumstances. And so was the concern that Tom had about the mission he had been working for so long. Bobby sat back and laced his fingers in front of him. The doctor in him wanted to put his patient out of his misery immediately, if not sooner. The RangeMan part of him wanted to proceed with caution, the purpose of the mission was very valid, and he could not ruin it before they got the results that they needed. It was easy for Bobby to sympathize with Tom's dilemma.

Finally Bobby pulled himself up and leaned forward, laying his forearms on his knees as he spoke quietly. "How much time do you need?" he asked a startled Tom.

"The deal is set to go down in about a week. We can watch Karl get close enough to the broker to follow him back to the source."

"Then, we have no problem," Bobby stated. "We can keep you both here 'under doctor's orders' for at least that long."

Tom nodded, still uncertain what Bobby was thinking. But the look in his eyes was confident and hopeful. Bobby explained that as long as they were within the RangeMan building, no one would ever know what they were working on. Most people did not even know that they were here. The RangeMan security measures would not allow for spying, or the hacking of their systems. "Brian will feel relieved that his research is safe. He could get back to his papers and work with Gene, our resident scientist, and noone would be the wiser," Bobby said, staring seriously into Tom's eyes.

It could work, Tom let himself think. But that old nagging came back. "What about the explanation to why his research ended up here before he did?" he asked.

Bobby smiled. "Does Brian trust you?" Tom nodded affirmatively. "Does he trust Tank?" Again, Tom nodded. "Then we let Tank tell him." Tom was stunned, but before he could ask why, Bobby spoke up. "Tank is good at these kinds of things. A real people person. He will know just what to say."

He had to agree, Tank was good, he had seen him in action. He had extraordinary skills and Tom knew him to be exceptionally intelligent. He trusted Tank too. Suddenly it was settled. They would let Tank help them out. In the meantime, as soon as Brian woke up, he would be relieved to see that nothing had been stolen or lost. And his ability to heal would improve.

Bobby smiled at him again and suggested that he get some sleep. Tom agreed, and now that they had a plan for Brian, he knew that he could finally rest. He rose and went to his room. Leaving Bobby to look in on Brian once again. Entering his room, Bobby noticed the pale features of his weak patient. It still worried him, but now that he knew how to help him, he was sure that everything was going to be just fine. All he had to do was talk to Tank.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Set at the edge of a large forest, the headquarters of Humelik Corp. was an impressive sight. The building with a facade of mirrored glass reflected the trees around it and the lush landscaping blended in with the natural wooded beauty. Otto Walters and his good friend Paul Markus had found this site shortly after they had started their new business. They bought as much of the property and surrounding forest acreage as they could. It took years but the company was finally able to build this facility, fulfilling so many of their dreams. It was still a reminder to Paul and the original founders that they had come a long way, and it gave hope that they still had a long way to go.

Karl glanced out of the window, his mind was far away, he paid no attention at all to the scenery. In the waning light of evening, long shadows of the tall Pine and Birch trees crept over the now empty employee parking lot. At least they would be alone now, that was all that Karl could think of. Secrecy.

Pushing away from his desk, he leaned back in his chair, swiveling toward the window again, still lost in his thoughts. This was Ed's deal. 'Okay,' he thought, he had been his right hand man, and it was his encouragement that had given Ed the nerve to go out and contact the mysterious middleman. The man who was now waiting for him to give him an answer. Karl sighed and turned away from the fading glow of the sunset that he had not seen.

Chimes from the antique clock down the hall told him that it was time to find the team. As if on autopilot, he shut down his computer and grabbed his coat as he walked to the door. His hand reached out and turned off the light. He closed and locked the door, patting his coat pocket to feel that he had his keys with him. Karl took no notice of any of these actions. It was habit, he had done them so many times before.

Without looking back, he held his chin up as he headed down to the labs to meet with the men on his secret team. Passing several of the other executive offices, he did not notice the faintly glowing light from under the door of Richard's office. He just continued on his way to the meeting that he hoped would hold some answers for his problem.

Waiting was always so hard for Ari. From the minute that he had been approached by Leo last year, life had been unpredictable and, quite frankly, more than a little bit nerve wracking for Ari Rasmus. With a self deprecating sneer, he whispered, "Doctor Ari Rasmus to you sir,if you please'"

As he entered the lab, he could see that he was the first one to arrive at the designated location. White walls and stainless steel counters and tables defined the room found in the very center of the basement level. Ari paced the room. He was alone, it was past regular working hours and the building was nearly empty. He looked around the room again. No windows. It freaked him out, and he took in a deep breath, holding it until he couldn't anymore and the air came whooshing out of his lungs.

No one here knew that he was claustrophobic. As one of the youngest scientists that had been hired at Humelik, he did not want to give anyone a reason to doubt that he was old enough, mature enough, to do his job. In truth, he was a genius, a child prodigy who had attracted attention when he tested out of High School at age fourteen and graduated from college with his doctorate by the time he was twenty. But somehow he considered his phobia a weakness and he refused to let anyone know about it. Most of the time he had it under control. During the day, he could concentrate on the work, he had the distraction of other people moving around. But these late meetings with Karl's team pushed him to his limit.

Harsh fluorescent lights glared at him as they reflected off of the shiny surfaces. Ari closed his eyes and walked along the long tables, skimming the smooth edges of the cold steel with his fingertips. 'Somebody had better get here soon' he thought, 'or I'm was going to go crazy'. He walked up and down all three long work tables, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. Just as he approached the end of that last corner, the door finally opened and in walked Karl and Max.

Quickly Ari looked up and forced a smile. "Where's Terri?" he asked them. But there was no need to answer his question when the door opened again and his assistant, Terri Aaronsen entered dramatically. Ari had never understood the man's theatrics, he always seemed to be louder than he needed to be. But they were all here now, and Karl wasted no time getting started.

Before long, papers were scattered all over the table thatthey had chosen to gather around. Many of these pages were covered with the neat, compact handwriting of Dr Brian Taylor. Ari stared at the pages. He had them all memorized. Every notation, every word.

Everything had all started with Taylor and his little article about the poisonous birds. Ari slowly looked around at the faces staring back at him. 'And this is where it will be ended,' he thought. With just enough information to support his hypothesis, but not everything that they needed to formulate the serum that Taylor had described, it was just like ending up back where they started a year ago.

Ari and Terri exchanged frustrated looks. How many hours had they spent trying to duplicate the theory that Taylor had laid out. What piece were they missing? They had come so close, but the formula they had come up with was unstable and did not perform consistently. They assumed that Dr Taylor and his partner Tom Dutton had used an added chemical compound to control the rate of reactions and keep it from degradation. They were wrong. They just didn't know how far off they had been, right from the start.

"Do we have anything that we can give this guy?" Karl asked. The question was open to anyone who could give him an answer. At this point he did not care what it was, he just wanted to be able to have something to offer. Because of Ed's insistence, he was convinced that the future of the company depended on fulfilling a contract with the arms dealer. If they could come up with something to give him now, it might buy them time to perfect the serum. They could still salvage their original deal.

"I don't care what they are, just throw out some ideas here," Karl said. "Anything!" he yelled, slamming his hand down on the counter.

It was quiet for a moment, eyes looking around at one another. "What if he could use something that was deadly, instead of just dangerous?" Terri asked, his voice sounding too loud after the silence. Now all eyes were on him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	16. Chapter 16

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Transition

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She had never seen so many long faces. It was still early in the morning and the team was assembled on the fifth floor. Stephanie and Mat had come down to see them off. She knew that Ranger was not excited to go, neither were the other guys, but they all knew it had to happen. Since the debriefings usually happened directly after each mission, she was grateful that they had let Ranger come home with Mat first. It had been hard enough to wait for him to wade through the paperwork in Ecuador, another couple of days would have pushed her to her limits.

Right now, Mat was tucked into Ranger's shoulder. Stephanie watched as he hugged him tight and kissed the top of his soft head. It would be at least twenty-four hours before they would be back. Seeing how much he was going to miss their little boy touched her heart. She stepped forward and wrapped them both in her embrace, laying her head on Ranger's other shoulder. It was going to be the longest day of her life. When Ranger's lips gently kissed her forehead, she was not sure that she would let him go.

Now all she could think was that the sooner she let them go, the quicker they could return. She would be counting down each minute. Suddenly all of the guys were in motion. Cal and Woody each grabbed large black canvas bags. Everyone headed for the stairs, it was time to get this show on the road.

Ranger led Stephanie into the elevator. As the doors slowly shut, he pulled her close and hugged her tight. He whispered his words of love in her ears and kissed her until the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Silently she followed him to the truck. He kissed Mat once more and gently transferred the sleeping baby to her shoulder. One more hug, and he was getting into the truck.

Stephanie stepped back, and watched as the trucks pulled out of the garage. And as she had so many times before, she whispered "Come back home soon!" Even though she knew that they would have to leave, a part of her had hoped that the stall tactics that Ranger had been pulling all morning would somehow keep him from going.

Standing alone in the garage now, she found herself thinking about all the ways that he had stalled getting out of bed. A warmth that started in her heart crept up her neck and ended up as a blush on her cheeks. She and Ranger had gone to bed very late, but they had not slept at all last night. In fact, she had to wonder how much longer they would have stayed in bed if Mat had not wanted some attention this morning.

He was still asleep in Stephanie's arms and she gently kissed the top of his downy soft head. She was swaying back and forth, rocking her little boy as her thoughts drifted back to the discussion she had with Ranger last night.

The mission to Ecuador had been his last assignment. And because it was, he would not have the need to keep secrets about his work from her any more. That was also going to apply to the other parts of their life too, no more secrets. Now if they could just get through this last separation, she would finally be free of the worry that she always felt when he was gone.

If she could just get through the next day.

She was so lost in her thoughts, Stephanie did not hear the elevator. She was still staring at the security gate that was now closed, when suddenly she realized that Ella was standing next to her, her own gaze on the gate as well.

"They will be here soon," she said. Stephanie turned her head sharply and looked at Ella. She must have a very different definition of the word 'soon'. Ella's smile was almost a laugh. "In fact," she said as her attention turned once again to the gate. "There they are now."

The gate opened and a large truck pulled slowly into the garage. Stephanie was looking closely to see who was here. She was surprised to see Camila driving that huge truck. Moments later, Celia and Olivia had joined their mother in walking toward Stephanie and Ella.

"Buenos Dias," Camila said cheerfully. "Ah, here is my little Matthias," she continued as she stretched her arms to the baby, looking at Stephanie for permission to steal him away from her. Stephanie smiled and handed over the small bundle.

"It's good to see you… " Stephanie said politely, in an effort to figure out why they were here. She was being led along with the group, and they were walking into the elevator when Celia answered for them all.

"It's time to practice and get Mat ready for the honeymoon." Three heads were bobbing in agreement to that statement. "Sofia won't be here til later, but she wants in on the practice session too," Celia laughed, and the others joined her. Stephanie was left a bit stunned. Honeymoon? she thought. Then a smile spread across her face. The elevator doors opened and she ushered the group into the apartment. The picture on Ranger's desk came to mind. Love for her husband swelled so big she thought her chest would burst.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been so long since he had been home. Because of his team schedule, Jasper had been attending the quarterly meetings via satellite from the New York office for years now. There had not been the need to actually be here. From the moment he had landed, the weight of the decisions he had made so long ago pulled down on him. He could still feel the ache that he had tried to ignore years ago. It was this ache that had kept him away. It was painful coming back to this building, his father's pride and joy. So many memories, of his mother, his father, his brother, and of his desire to hide from his responsibilities. He had been young, that was one excuse, but not one that he could use any more. It was time to face his father's expectations of him.

Jasper glanced at the thick stand of trees bordering either side of the drive leading to the Humelik building. Up around the next curve, he would be able to see it. The rental car he was driving slowed as he made the turn. He stopped. His family had been so proud of this business. Some of the pain in his heart eased a little. He was here to take his place in the company, finally living up to his potential. With the help of Richard in the business office, and Paul in research, he was sure that he could really make a significant contribution. All of a sudden it felt so important to make his father proud of him.

"I guess I had to grow up sometime," he said to himself as he moved forward again. Pulling into the parking lot, he passed by the row of 'Guest' parking spaces and deliberately chose the space that was marked as 'Reserved'. His mind-set tonight did not allow him to consider himself just a visitor here any more.

Of course, in many ways, that was exactly what he was. A visitor. He had not been in this building since the family had joined in the grand opening celebrations. He remembered the huge royal blue ribbon that had been stretched across the whole front of the building. He still saw the satisfaction in his father's face as they watched his mother ceremoniously cut through the shiny ribbon with an enormous pair of scissors. All the fanfare that could be associated with a grand opening had been planned for the event. They had pulled out all the stops for the occasion.

Faces from that big day came to his mind. Paul Marcus and his son were there. Leo was Jasper's friend. He had hated seeing him there, hated seeing how Leo's dad was acting all proud that he was going to join him on the research team. Jasper's own father had that same look for his brother. Proudly standing with his hand on Nickolas' shoulder, introducing him to all of the dignitaries that attended the event.

He shook off the visions from the past, and got out of the car. With more bravado than he actually felt right now, he marched right up to the doors and pulled them open. Stepping inside, his nervousness overtook him and he walked right past the executive offices, heading for the only part of the building that he knew well.

No one had missed him at the festivities. While everyone else had been hobnobbing outside, Jasper had taken his own personal tour of the building. Having no interest at all in the offices, he found his way into the labs. Brand new, shiny and bright, he loved the clean lines and the sterile smooth surfaces. His explorations took him into the basement labs too, the ones that could be secured if they were working on special or secret formulations. That was exactly where his feet took him now.

Partly by instinct and partly from memory he walked through the dimly lit halls. As he got closer, he just followed the sounds. There were voices. He assumed that it was Richard and Paul waiting for him. His footsteps quickened, but he remained unheard by the men who were so caught up in their conversation. Arriving outside of the door, Jasper could now hear what the voices were saying. He stopped dead in his tracks, this was definitely not who he thought it was. These people were talking about betraying his company, his father's legacy. How could they even consider working with arms-dealers. What formula did they have that could be used as a weapon?

This could not be happening. Why would they... how could they? He had been frozen, just listening, but now Jasper was angry. This could ruin Humelik, and he could not allow it! His hand jutted forward to grab the door knob, but was stopped midair as a large hand grabbed him. Jasper looked up in surprise, Richard pulled him back away from the door and said, "Shhhh." After a few moments, that he spent staring at the closed door in front of them, Richard looked at Jasper, and then his eyes turned to someone behind him. "That is Karl," he whispered to the other person, identifying the speaker inside.

It was then that Jasper noticed that Paul was there in the hall with them. He nodded to both men and stood with them, just a few feet from the door, listening. Jasper noticed the two men exchanging glances. Then Richard pointed to a small metal box above the door, bringing attention to the fact that a red dot of light was glowing in the center of the box. Jasper was confused at first, but then he realized that the light indicated that the microphones inside the room had been activated, this conversation was being recorded.

Silently they retreated down the hall into a small office. Paul closed the door and Richard turned on the computer at the same time. The faint blue glow from the monitor gradually turned white and grew in intensity until the picture came into focus. And then there they were; Karl and three other men could be seen on the computer screen. A security camera was inside each of the labs, Jasper had known that once, but he had not had any reason to think about it until now.

Richard's fingers were a blur as he worked on the keyboard. Making sure that the entire conversation was being digitally recorded in here. Jasper was leaning against the wall, as if it were all that was supporting him. The excitement that he had brought with him, to introduce the nutritional products and take the company in a new direction, was being pushed out by an anger that was starting to consume him. He looked at the screen again. The only person in that room that he knew was Karl. Ed's very good friend Karl. And Karl looked very much to be the one in charge.

Did Ed know about this? His mind was spinning, questions about his friend now surfaced. He suddenly thought of something that Richard had said to him. "Sometimes things are not what they seem." At the time, Jasper wondered what he meant by that. Now he needed to know. What did everyone know about Humelik that he did not. His gaze went from the screen to Richards face. Richard nodded and stood. Confident that the system was working and recording Karl's little rendezvous, he quietly led Jasper to his office upstairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He hated making this trip. He always hated the drive to DC. And he knew why. Every time he went there, is was to meet with the suits and to have to justify every action that he had taken since the assignment began. Military strategy and accountability he understood. What Ranger never could figure out was the blame game played by bureaucrats.

No matter how right the mission went, they were always looking for ways to cover their butts. It made no sense at all. But here they were, going back in to face another debriefing. Or would it be more accurate to call it a cross examination! Ranger was definitely not in the mood. But for the good of the team, he would follow through and play his part one last time. Slowly a smile emerged behind the blank face that he wore. This was his last debriefing! The fact that he now had his life ahead of him, to share with Stephanie, made his heart overflow with pride and happiness. That was enough to make this an event to remember.

But they had so much more that made this last mission one that he will never forget. Finding Mat. Marrying Stephanie. Discovering the research. Helping one of the most widely revered Rangers in history. Protecting the serum. Yes, there were many things that would keep this mission always in his mind.

By the time they walked into the ugly brick building, Ranger had lifted his mood to the point that he was going to be able to get through the process without agonizing over it. He was now looking forward to the moment that he could tell the powers that be that he would not be working with them anymore.

Woody and Cal handed over the black bags and the process began. Each of the men were taken to different rooms for their 'personal debriefings'. The General was the one to come in to talk to Ranger. Many questions were asked, but not all of them were asked by the general. Ranger had his fair share of things he wanted to know too, although, his questions were far more subtle than the general's. He had learned early on in his Ranger career to gather information as stealthily as he had been taught to move in and out of targeted locations.

During the 'conversation', Ranger let himself think back over his years in the Rangers and his career as an undercover operative. Much of what he was, he owed to one man: Code name Vapour. Though they had not had the opportunity to meet, this man had taught the men in his team everything that he knew about strategy, subtle interrogation tactics, marksmanship, and most of all, his ability to compartmentalize everything. From there, these tactics were taught to every Ranger that followed. It was this one technique, compartmentalizing, that had made Ranger one of the most effective operators and always kept him in high demand. It was a powerful technique that he had ended up applying to nearly every aspect of his life.

While the answers that Ranger gave were accurate, from a specific point of view, none of the information that he did not want them to have was discussed. On the other hand, the General gave up so much information, without realizing it, Ranger almost smiled. What he learned allowed him to know that his plans for his future would not have any complications with this branch of the government.

Finally, his session with the General was over and Ranger joined the rest of the team in a large conference room. The black canvas bags had been emptied onto one end of the table that extended the entire length of the room. Dozens of weapons were lined up. Several boxes contained the other items; cigarettes, chewing gum, bic lighters and a random set of keys. Each was marked and tagged like a piece of evidence in a trial. It all looked very official, and Ranger knew that it was all that the team had let them know about, when asked what was found while they were in Ecuador.

A new set of suits ran this meeting. They finally walked in after the team had been seated and waiting for almost an hour. Blank faces welcomed them into the room. All of the men in suits, but one, found their seats and the meeting was started without any introduction.

"The man responsible for the kidnapping of Dr Brian Taylor; Dr Tom Dutton; Edvard Aslak; and Leo Markus had been identified as Juan Arquilla. All efforts to work with Arquilla had been denied before we sent you in to rescue the men," said the tall man standing at the head of the table. Every word was spoken with a monotone practicality, it was all fact, nothing to be discussed. "You may be interested to know that an unidentified group of people attacked Arquilla at his villa. It was burned down to the ground, he did not survive the blaze."

As abruptly as he had begun to talk, he finished and walked to the opposite end of the room. He addressed the team as he indicated the weapons. "All of these weapons were found at the kidnapping location." It sounded neither like a question nor a statement. Ranger and his men simply nodded. It was an answer to either.

The tall man seemed to have more questions, but he did not say anything more. It was part of the act. He was allowing them to think that he knew much more about the mission than he actually did. True to secretive government policies concerning these types of operations, each member of the investigating team only handled a specific portion of of the inquest. The most irritating part of that system was that none of these men knew much about Ranger and his work. They were not given high enough clearance to know about the past operations. And yet here they sat, thinking that their investigation was more important than anything else.

It was a good thing that the guys all had the skills that they did, the blank faces were firmly in place. All the information that these men would get, they already had. Two hours later the suits finally realized it and the meeting was over.

Over the sound of silverware clinking on stoneware plates, and the hum of conversation, Ranger and Tank talked. The late dinner break was a welcome distraction and Lester was entertaining the rest of the guys. They had the whole place to themselves as it was after hours and the cafeteria was closed. Special orders had been given for their meals ahead of time. They had been delivered from an outside source local to DC that Ranger approved of. He was making sure that during this last mission, he got to enjoy all of the perks that were available to him. Although it was small consolation for having to be away from Stephanie and Mat.

"General C will be here in an hour," Tank was saying. "I'll have some time to talk to him before the last meeting with the team." Ranger nodded. He had agreed to let Tank be the one to discuss the future of the team. After all, he was going to recommend that his friend Colonel Pierre Thibault be placed in charge of the RangeMan team.

This decision had already lifted so much weight from Ranger's shoulders. He could not wait to get back and start the new phase of his life, as the acting and active head of RangeMan Inc. Stephanie had agreed to work part time with him, taking on the role of being the first one from the company that contacted all new customers. She was the perfect person for it, and had been so excited when he had approached her with the idea. All of the parts of his life were coming together so well!

Just as soon as they got back from their honeymoon, everything that they talked about, for their new life together, would begin. His future never looked so bright. Of course, he knew that the higher ups may not see it that way, at first. But it would not take long to allow them to see that Tank was the man for the job.

"You are sure you are ready for this?" Tank was asking Ranger. "It will seem odd to a few people that we are switching places, so to speak," he said.

"It's the perfect arrangement," Ranger said, and then he looked pointedly at his friend. "This is what you want, right?" Tank laughed at the serious look on Ranger's face. They had been talking about this change for a long time now. At first, he would admit to a little reluctance to the idea. Ranger had always been his best friend, their roles had always suited both of them. And now he realized that that was all they were, roles. It was just a matter of assuming the new responsibility. They were both ready.

"It is time," he simply stated. Ranger nodded. Yes, it was time!

XXXXXXXXXXXXX


	17. Chapter 17

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Acceptance

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Late morning sunlight attempted to permeate the blinds, its glow seeping in around the edges of the windows. Bobby was glad that his patients were able to sleep uninterrupted for this long. He knew that they both needed the rest. Sitting in the filtered light, he carefully watched as another bag of saline solution dripped its last few drops into the IV. Carefully Bobby removed the IV and bandaged his arm. Brian no longer needed the sedatives to keep him asleep. He had been handed a big dose of the best kind of medicine early this morning.

Bobby stood and stretched his muscles. With one last glance at Brian's vital signs, he left the room to check on Tom. After a quick glance, he knew that, he too, was getting the rest he needed and he headed into the kitchen for some tea. Bobby was still grateful for the talk that they had had with Tom last night. He smiled as he remembered how Tank had taken it all in stride and accepted his role of confidant for Brian. Since he had to leave with the team this morning, they had arranged for him to talk to Brian as soon as he woke up, which had been around six o'clock this morning.

While he had not been close enough to hear what was said, Bobby could see how Brian had responded to knowing that his work had not been lost, or worse, stolen from the lab. Tank had immediately made arrangements for him to meet Gene. It meant that they would need to go up to the comm room, but Bobby did not have the heart to say no. So the IV had been attached to a wheelchair, so that he and Tank could get him upstairs. They had visited with Gene for nearly an hour before Tank convinced Brian to return to his room and get some badly needed sleep.

It had worked out better than either Tom or Bobby could have predicted. And he knew that Brian would be anxious to get back up there to work with Gene, just as soon as he was rested enough. Sure enough as soon as the kettle whistled, Bobby heard movement in Brian's room.

Without the IV to hamper him now, Brian moved down the hallway ready to go back to spend time with Gene. He was intercepted long enough for Bobby to make sure that he was okay, and that he had some food and lots of fluids before he would let him make his way to the comm room.

Whether is was the noise from the other two, or if he was now ready to start his day too, Tom walked into the kitchen and calmly poured some tea for himself as Bobby and Brian continued their discussion about the care that they still needed. Tom nodded as Brian looked at him. No doubt Brian had been waiting for him to defend his need to get upstairs and check on the additional research that Gene had been doing. Of course he would know how important it was that they make sure that nothing had destroyed the years of research that they had recorded. But Tom just smiled at him and indicated that he finish his breakfast as Bobby was insisting he do.

Brian was steamed, and was about to say something about Tom's attitude, when he realized just how stupid he would sound. Arguing with a doctor over his medical needs or with his partner over a bunch of papers might make them feel that he needed more rest, that he was not ready to leave. Brian, ever the pragmatic scientist that he was, was back. Bobby's treatments had begun the healing process and Brian was feeling much more like himself now. He was able to control his thoughts and he immediately worked this all out in his head and sat back down. He took a deep breath and smiled politely.

Bobby was pleased with his patient's compliance, but Tom was watching him closely, as if he could read exactly what was going on in his mind. Brian was a scientist. He was logical. The past few months had pushed himself to limits he would have never otherwise have known. Tom had seen him be more emotional than he had ever been before. And a part of him had been glad that Brian had been forced out of his highly focused research environment for a while. He had been alone for so much of his life. Tom had hoped that someday he would be able to expand beyond his little world of birds. Part of this may have come from the fact that poor Dr Brian Taylor had been used for the purposes of the agency. Tom would like nothing more than to give him a life to compensate for the intrusion.

Finally they were ready and Bobby led them upstairs. Gene was not in his makeshift office when they got there. Seems that even he needed to grab a few hours of sleep now and then. So Tom and Brian spent some time going through the materials, making sure that everything that should be here, was. Brian was meticulous, his photographic mind had catalogued everything he had done, and he was now pleased to find it all here. When they got to the piles of papers that were sitting on one of the tables, it was Tom that was discovered the beautiful scrawling handwriting on the backs of the pages.

He sat down and stared at the even lines of script. He seemed almost mesmerized by it. Just looking at it, not even reading the words. Brian was busy with his search and did not notice, but when Gene walked in, he could see that something was upsetting Tom.

When he saw the pages that he was holding in his hands, he understood. Ranger had told him about the stories written on those papers. He had not read them, his focus had been on the research, but he knew how Ranger had felt about them. He could only assume that Dr Dutton was feeling the same way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harsh white lights lit the hallways and conference rooms in the nondescript building on the outskirts of Washington DC. From inside it was impossible to tell whether it was night or day, the light never changed, it was always bright. It was a disorienting feeling, one that Ranger would always associate with the agency.

After a few hours of resting in one of the employee lounges, Ranger and his men were again brought together in another large conference room. As before, they sat pouring cups of coffee and joking with one another for about an hour before the door was suddenly pushed open, slamming hard against the paneled wall.

"What is the meaning of this?" roared the General as he burst in waving a handful of papers in the air above his head.

Tank trailed in behind him and gave Ranger a look, shrugging his shoulders. Ranger was not ready to react quite yet, he kept his blank face firmly in place as he tried to work through his feelings. He had been afraid of this. He had been working with this agency for a long time now. They knew that he was the best they had, but they also knew that he always had a perfect and highly capable team of men who he chose to accompany him on every mission that he had been assigned. That was his rule, and they knew the caliber of men that he worked with. They even knew that he had trained many of them. But most of all, they knew that he had wanted to retire for over a year now. They did not want him to, so he had placated them, accepting new missions.

But everything had changed before he left this last time. He wanted Stephanie, and that meant no more leaving her. And now with Mat in their lives, he knew that there would never be any going back to work for the general. All of these thoughts and many more zipped through his mind as the General stalked over to the table and slapped the papers down in front of him with a heavy thud.

"Retirement?" he bellowed. The rest of the guys at the table were in shock, they had never seen the General this worked up. He was usually so cool that they'd thought he had a frozen heart and ice water flowing through his veins. All eyes were on him as he continued his rampage.

"You don't see me retiring!" he continued, his voice almost bouncing off the walls and pounding back at them. Behind him Tank still stood, at ease with his arms clasped behind his back. Ranger got just a glimpse of the look on his face before the General finished his speech. By now the man was bending forward and yelling right in his face.

"Retiring," he repeated. "It's about damn time, if you ask me!" A smile broke over his rough features. A smile that most people who knew him would have been afraid would crack and break his stone face. It reached from ear to ear, and then he laughed. The general had a loud, hearty laugh. It was something that Ranger had never heard before, it stunned him for a moment. He stood and the older man pulled him in for a brisk hug, patting his shoulder a couple of times before stepping back. He laughed again. "You should see the look on your face!" he said.

Tank now let his smile break through. He had had a nice long talk with the General. All arrangements had been made for the agency to continue working with RangeMan Inc, with Tank now acting as the commanding officer. Contrary to popular belief, the man was quite capable of understanding how important it was to Carlos Manoso to step down and grab hold of the family that had come his way. What they did not know, what he would never let anyone know, is that he had had his chance at a wife and family. Years ago he had turned away from the beautiful brunette with big brown eyes, thinking that he could only have one focus in his life. By the time he had realized just what a mistake it had been, he had lost her. That was a loss that he felt every single minute of every day. He was actually relieved to see that Ranger was smart enough, strong enough to know when to let go of this world, and he envied the happiness he knew he was finding with his new wife and baby.

All of the guys now sat back in their chairs. It took a moment before they too got the joke and joined in with the laughter and the teasing atmosphere. They all felt like they had just missed a bullet. The relief was powerful. But no one was more relieved than Ranger himself. His goal to say goodbye had been met, and he had not been required to burn all of his bridges. It was a nice way to be able to walk away with his associations and friendships still in tact.

But as nice at it had turned out, he knew that he had been willing and ready to do whatever was necessary to leave this part of his life behind him. That level of commitment was what he was going to bring back to Stephanie and to Mat. They had 100%+ of him. All of his heart and his soul. He could not wait to be with them again!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hector pushed back from his desk, his chair wheeled him around so that he could turn and continue working on another keyboard at another screen on the table behind him. Tom looked around, the set up was impressive. Hector had commandeered a room in the corner of the building, so that he could have some direct link ups to the several satellite dishes and antennae located on the side of the building as well as on the roof.

Lining the walls, in this good sized room, he had several long tables and a couple of desks set up. Each surface was loaded with electronics of every kind. There must have been five computers all working independent of each other. There was hardware for the internet and cable and satellite set ups and monitors that showed him any part of the building that he wanted to see, both inside and outside. (With the possible exception of the apartment on the seventh floor.) The amount of equipment in here was remarkable, but it had been set up so effectively that nothing appeared cluttered. It was incredibly efficient. Tom was impressed.

Pulling out a stool from under one of the tables, Hector pushed it over to Tom to sit on while they entered the encrypted information that Tom had given him. A smile curled his lips as Tom thought of Karl and the covert computer set up he'd put in the lab. While he had been trying to spy on Tom and Brian, the link had been turned on him and Tom had been accessing information on Karl's computer. It was amazing how much information people stored on their computers when they think that no one can look. And for Tom, it was exactly what he had needed to track their activities and communications with their buyer.

Now Tom needed to have Hector link to Karl's computer from here at RangeMan. He was hoping that he could find out what deals Karl had made while Ed and Leo had been gone. Since being rescued, this was the first place he'd been that he was sure was secure enough to try to access Karl's connection again. He knew that a lot could happen in two months. But now it was time to see just what the next step was going to be in his operation to shut down the arms dealers who were supplying such a devastating and deadly assortment of weapons to anyone who could pay their price.

With his fingers tapping out encrypted messages on several keyboards, Hector finally sat back and pointed at one of his monitors. Tom pulled closer to see what Hector had found. Bingo! he was back into Karls computer! Tom smiled and shared an elaborate handshake with Hector. "Esto es!" he said with excitement in his voice. "Gracias Hector!"

For the next few hours, Tom searched for all the information that he could from Karl's computer. The picture that was forming was not good. Karl had gone ahead and contacted the buyer that Ed had been working with. The details were sketchy, but it looked like Karl was offering a more deadly version of the formula that they had tried to get from Brian. Tom knew exactly what was happening, they had not been able to figure out the way to stabilize it. But rather than admit defeat, they were passing it off as a new weapon.

Rubbing his eyes with his hand, Tom continued to stare at the screen. They would have had a dangerous weapon with the formula finished properly. But what they were about to unleash could get out of control before anyone knew what was happening. Someone was inevitably going to try to duplicate the serum, make a knockoff version. Starting with an already unstable formulation, there was no way to know just how much damage they could cause. They would have to get someone to the headquarters immediately to stop Karl from delivering his faulty product.

Going himself would take too long. It was a matter of logistics, it would take him nearly ten hours to get there himself, and by then it could be too late. Who could he trust to get there now? Tom stared at the screen in front of him, deep in thought, not actually seeing it. Hector looked on, he was not sure what problem he was trying to work out, but from the level of concentration that he was seeing from Tom right now, he had no doubt that he would figure it out soon.

It didn't take long to know just how right he was! Tom suddenly lunged for the keyboard. He accessed Karl's e-mails and started reading through them. Finally he found what he had been looking for. He discovered the e-mails from the sales manager. This man clearly was not involved in the upcoming sales transaction, and he was angry about it,using phrases like 'unauthorized transactions' and 'unethical methods'. Richard Alvari had been upset by something that he had found out a week ago. Tom wondered what he knew now.

With utmost care, Tom scripted a message to Mr Alvari. He could use his position as their research scientist to open this conversation. But he needed to get through to him quickly. He did not know exactly how long he had until Karl was going to make his move.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sofia swept into the apartment like a small whirlwind. She couldn't wait to hold her little nephew, so she dropped her packages on the kitchen table and snatched him away from Olivia in one motion. Stephanie looked on in wonder. Of all of Ranger's sisters, Sofia seemed to be the most outgoing. The family all said that she took after Grandma Rosa. From what she had seen, she could believe that it was true. It was obvious that she loved her family though, so it was a good thing, and right now she was showering that love on Mat. He did not seem to mind one bit. In fact, he seemed to love all the attention that he was getting today. He had spent his whole day smiling and sleeping, and he was never alone the entire time.

"Oh, mi hijito," Sofia said, snuggling his neck. "You are the most beautiful thing in this entire world!"

Olivia, not at all upset that her sister had taken over so dramatically, headed to the table to see what Sofia had brought with her. Ella joined her and they set up a small buffet with the array of chinese food that had been ordered for their little party! Once again, Stephanie had to wonder what they were up to, they had not mentioned the whole purpose of this visit, but it looked like they were here to stay.

But when they were still here when it was time for Julie to Skype with Mat for his bedtime story, she was more than a little curious. The girls all oohed and aahed over the faces that Mat was making at his big sister. Julie's idea had worked beautifully and this was one of Mat's favorite times of the day. Sitting in Camila's arms in front of the laptop, Mat actually seemed to be listening to Julie as she read another cute little story. Stephanie looked on, her heart full of wonder as she saw how her two kids were reacting to one another. She still couldn't get over the fact that they were hers, her family that she shared with Carlos. She suddenly felt like the luckiest woman in the entire world. The only thing that could make this moment better was if Carlos was here with his arms wrapped around her. She couldn't help the deep sigh that escaped her lips.

Celia and Sofia watched her and shared a secret smile with one another. Then they crept to the door to let Ella come in with her surprises. Stephanie was so distracted in her own thoughts that she did not notice the three ladies sneaking into the living room. Her focus was on the baby, and when story time was over, she said goodnight to Julie and took Mat to get him ready for bed.

Julie stayed on and talked with Camila. Her plans to come stay for the long weekend were still two weeks away. She could hardly wait. Her grandmother whispered about all the things that they would do when she got here. This is what Julie really missed. She loved her dad's family, she did not get to be with them as much as she would like, Miami was just far enough away to make it hard to come very often. Her mom did not seem to understand just how important this large loving family was to her. She planned on helping her understand very soon.

Camila continued to make plans with Julie while the girls set up in the living room. A movie was popped into the DVD player and soon their excited whispers were covered by the opening credits of the movie. They all rushed around, Ella directing them as they set up gift bags around the room. Several items remained hidden behind the couch, but the big ticket items were sitting on top of the coffee table.

Her sleepy little boy settled right down, curled up in her arms draining the bottle and falling asleep immediately. He had had a big day, playing with grandma and his adoring aunts, Ella included. He gave up a burp quickly as Stephanie placed him on her shoulder, so she rocked him for just a little while longer before putting him in the cradle. She backed out of the room, closing the door quietly, and turning around to see the room filled with colorful bags and their profusion of crisp tissue paper.

"Surprise!" they all whispered, as they pulled her into the living room. They led her to the couch where she ended up standing by the coffee table looking at the brand new set of luggage. She did not know what to say. What were they doing? What was this all for? Her confused looks made them all laugh.

Camila put an arm around Stephanie's shoulder. "This is a wedding gift," she explained. "We didn't get a chance to do all the traditional stuff, like a shower or reception. So the least we could do is get you ready for the honeymoon." She laughed at the stunned face and sat Stephanie down.

She motioned to the suitcases piled on the table, "My husband chose this luggage for you. It is sturdy and should last a lifetime."

Stephanie nodded and started coming out of her shock. "It's beautiful, tell him he has very good taste," she told Camila.

Olivia took that moment to place one of the bags on Stephanie's lap. "Open it," she said. "It's from Julie."

The tissue papers drifted to the floor as Stephanie looked inside, and pulled the frame from the bag. A note attached said that she was going to schedule a family portrait to be taken while she was there. It would be the first official family picture with all of them together. It left Stephanie a little speechless. Then another bag was handed to her, and then another.

If the contents of these bags was any indication, her honeymoon would be to a warm place with lots of sunshine. Everything ranging from the frivolous like hats and swimsuit coverups was here, as well as the practical in the form of a 'survival kit' that included motion sickness pills and sunscreen.

Now the picture on Ranger's desk made perfect sense. A secret smile appeared in the curve of her lips and in the sparkle in her eyes. Camila noticed, but said nothing, she enjoyed a secret smile of her own. Her son was a lucky man. And she was here to see that he and his bride had the private time together that they deserved as newlyweds.

The gifts kept coming, and Stephanie was getting a little overwhelmed. Such an outpouring of love and support. She knew, like Julie did, that she wanted to always be a part of this large wonderful family. She must have gotten lost in her thoughts again, because suddenly she noticed that the suitcases were opened and everyone was filling them up. All of their gifts were being packed, and bags she hadn't even seen before were being pulled out from their hiding places and handed to her. But the moment she reached into the bags to pull out the contents, the items were taken from her and placed into one of the suitcases. She hardly got to see what was being packed away.

They all seemed to be in an awfully big hurry all of a sudden. And then there was a knock at the door. Celia pulled her arm and headed toward the bathroom. "If there are any things that you want to take with you, you better grab them now," she whispered. A toiletry bag appeared in her hands and she gave it to Stephanie with a wink. "Hurry!" she said and pushed her into motion.

Moments later, Stephanie and her suitcases were being loaded into a black SUV and she was getting hugs from all of the girls. "We will take good care of Mat," they told her. "Have a great time!" "Julie will be here when you get home," "The tickets are in your purse, in the leather pouch with your passports and other travel information." "The connector flight will get you to DC in about three hours." "Carlos will meet you at the airport." "Hurry you don't want to be late." "There is a kindle with lots of books loaded in it, look in your carryon case."

All of their words swirled around in Stephanie's head. It was slowly sinking in that this had been planned for some time. She was on her way to meet up with Ranger for their honeymoon. But before she could thank them, or tell them how to take care of Mat, or a hundred other things, they pushed her into the truck and waved goodbye.

Junior smiled at her when she looked up at him. He raced out of the garage and headed for Newark. "I'll get you there on time, don't you worry Steph," he said and chuckled at her startled look.  
"It's late, you can sit back and rest if you need to," he said softly.

Stephanie reached over and grabbed his hand, she squeezed it and said "Thank you," Then she laughed and cranked up the radio. "Let's get to the airport!" she said and she couldn't help but smile. This was as unexpected as it could be, but she was finding that she was getting more and more excited to see Carlos, to spend time with him. That was the best gift of all!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	18. Chapter 18

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Urgency

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She was getting home just before the sun rose. Again. This surveillance job was brutal. Thanks to agent Vapour, who she had yet to meet, she had been on this 'job' for over a year now. Trudging up the stairs to her small apartment, Kara wondered again, just how she got roped into this assignment. Wiggling the old key into the ancient lock, she finally got it to turn and she pushed the door hard with her shoulder to open it. The building may have all kinds of structural issues, but it was full of an old world charm, so she told herself that she liked to overlook the little problems, like the door sticking.

She had always wanted to live in Europe, she had actually jumped at the assignment that brought her here. She loved the architecture, the aged stained stones that the buildings and bridges and fences were made of. At first she had loved strolling the markets and enjoying the bustle of the older ladies on their daily shopping trips. There were shops that had chocolate that was like nothing she had ever had before, she would open the door and just breathe it in before walking up to the antique glass counter and trying something new the being displayed on the silver tray with the glass dome. And then there was the smell of bakery down the street. They were pulling hot bread and pastries out of their ovens about the same time she was done with work. It had all seemed so unique, and almost magical.

But now that she had had the experience, she was ready for a change again and would be glad to go back home. Kara backed up against the door to push is closed and quickly turned to set all the locks that she used when she was at home. The apartment had come equipped with a chain door guard as the only security measure. The other three locks she now engaged were her own addition. They would be her gift to the building when she left.

Her purse dropped heavily on the coffee table and Kara dropped onto the quaint overstuffed arm chair, propping her feet up next to her purse. She had been on her feet all night long and she was exhausted. For just a moment she closed her eyes and wondered if she could just fall asleep here in the chair. But she was also hungry, so she dragged herself up and made her way into the kitchen. With the kettle heating, she moved to the bedroom to change her clothes to something much more comfortable. She kicked off the crepe soled shoes and pulled her blue cotton dress up over her head, dropping it into the laundry basket.

Just as she pulled on her tank top, a shrill whistle from the kettle called her back to the stove. Kara slipped on her shorts hurried back to the kitchen to make some tea to go with the leftover casserole that she now popped into the microwave.

Twenty minutes later, she was fed and ready to file her report on the man she worked for. Code name Wyvern. The man was too careful. For an entire year, Kara had been cleaning his office. Every single inch, and he had not given up any usable information. Today had started to be not much different, it was getting depressing, until she realized that he was actually getting a bit sloppy.

It was not much, not anything that anyone else would notice, but Kara had found two things that might mean a break in the case. In his pristine office, the man had finally left a fingerprint. Kara found it on the front of the bottom drawer. She carefully lifted it before she had to wipe it away. And then she saw a crumpled paper in the shiny black lacquer waste paper basket. Up until now, she had only ever had to dust the thing. He had never thrown anything away before. It made her wonder what had happened to the man to make him this careless all of a sudden.

Now she downloaded the images that she had taken of the print and the discarded paper. Maybe someone at HQ would be able to find something useful in the few scribbles that she had discovered there. After her report was sent, Kara crawled into bed to get some badly needed sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After the huge pep talk that he had given himself, Karl was not sure whether he was upset or completely relieved that he was not going to have to meet with the Gentleman X after all. Somehow the man found out that Ed was now at the offices in New York.

A short, curt message had told Karl that his services were no longer required. It was mildly insulting in tone, but Karl decided that he was glad that the guy was gone. As a matter of fact, he had to be nearly to the States already. According to the message, he was going to show up to the meeting with Ed in just a couple of hours.

He had apparently sent the message to Karl as an after thought. Not even considering Karl as a real contact. Yes, he should be offended, outraged even, but truthfully, he couldn't be happier about the change. Whether or not he had assumed the position of the man in charge of Ed's little team, Karl was never comfortable with it. He did everything that he could to get Ed and Leo back from the kidnappers as much to relieve himself from that duty, as to save the men from harm.

He had pushed himself to be heartless administrator who had come to steal the information from the scientists while they were still recovering. Talking to Brian Taylor, acting the part he thought that he had to, in order to help Ed with his plan had been one of his lower moments. But he certainly never saw himself as inhumane and ruthless as Terri had shown himself to be. Offering to give up the serum in it's most dangerous and uncontrollable state was insane. In order to get his share of the money, Terri had no conscience, he did not care about what could happen with it in the wrong hands. Now he had to wonder if Ed would have done the same thing. Karl knew how focused he had been on saving the company. Was he only interested in getting rich off of it too?

Suddenly Karl felt ill. He cursed the whole world. This is not what he ever thought he would be doing, not in a million years. 'How had it all come to this?' he wondered over and over again. Ed was his friend. He was Jaspers's friend too. They were just a bunch of kids that had grown up together, not world class spies playing cloak and dagger games with dangerous chemical weapons.

His sigh was heavy and filled with gloom. He was not cut out for this. He was just a lowly administrator, assigned to make sure that all of the requisition forms were properly filled out and submitted in the right order. He couldn't be in the middle of this mess for one second longer. Karl stood and left his office. He marched right down the hall and knocked on Richards door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The shiny cart smoothly glided along the industrial grade carpet that covered the entire 5th floor. Ella was having a hard time getting Gene and Brian, or even Tom to come to her, so instead she brought the meals to them. Without their noticing, she had a table brought in and set up next to Gene's corner of the room. Several chairs were also placed around the table and the food was served before the men looked up to see what it was they were smelling.

Seeing their looks, Ella smiled and invited them to come and eat. She was glad to see that when it was easily accessible, they could find few minutes to drag themselves away from their research. Didn't do a whole lot for her ego, she thought with a chuckle, but at least she knew that they were getting the nourishment that Bobby had ordered. She shrugged, she would take what she could. Rave reviews of her culinary skills were not required every time. She was nearly laughing when she walked away. She wondered how long it would take for them to realize that she had left some dessert for them on the cart.

Not even the meal, however, could keep the discussion about the formula from continuing. Brian was itching to get into a lab, but for now, he was exploring every possible solution that he could to make sure that the calculations for the serum were correct. It had been the last thing that he had discovered early that morning in the lab, before Ed and Leo showed up. For three frustrating hours he had tried everything he could think of to stabilize the serum.

The irony was, that the solution to the problem was in it's simplicity. That was what Brian had discovered that day before the kidnapping. In it's pure form, the batrachotoxin is deadly and since there is no known antidote, it is too dangerous to use effectively. But added with another natural toxin, the effects can be controlled. This bit of information had been accidentally scattered on the floor of the lab, and gathered up by Maria.

Brian remembered that moment, when everything came together. He had carefully noted his findings, and then he looked around. It was time to celebrate this breakthrough, but the lab was empty. He was alone. For the first time in his life he actually felt alone. He hated the feeling. All he could do was try to shake it. He immediately examined all the reasons why he had felt that way.

He had become accustomed to working with Tom, sharing his discoveries and challenges with him. That was one reason. That and the fact that he had found the answer to the project that they had been working on for so long. Those were logical excuses. But he knew that something had changed in his life forever. Even before the ordeal of the kidnapping, he knew that he was alone and lonely.

Gene was a genius. Brian had no problem recognizing a fellow scientist, complete with his obsessions over the most minute details. During the meal Gene continued to ask his questions. Tom watched with amusement as Brian patiently explained how he had come to his initial conclusion about the possible uses for the poison found in the Pitohui birds. Gene's eyes grew wide when Brian flat out told him that he touched the poison and felt the effects for himself. He knew that there was no antidote for this poison, and that it had not been determined how much of the toxin was needed to cause the effects. Brian could have become paralyzed or could have gone into cardiac arrest as it attacked his nervous system. He knew that it was not unusual for scientists to experiment on themselves, but in Gene's opinion, it could always be more dangerous than helpful so he avoided it himself.

Brian was amused at Gene's reaction, he had known of the dangers and made sure to use only the smallest amount on himself, but he did not reveal that part of the story quite yet. Instead he described the effects that he had felt. First there was the tingling, almost itching feeling. Then he felt numb, and it had fascinated him. When he discovered that his fingers had become paralyzed, he may have been slightly concerned. But the dosage had been so small, that the effects did not last very long. He regained the use of his fingers and suddenly thought of the operation that had been performed on his father not long before.

After a back injury, they had had to operate on his father's spine. In the logical and scientific discussion that they'd had afterward, Brian's parents told him that the operation itself, even though it was in a vulnerable and delicate location, was not the largest risk of this procedure. The worry that the surgeon faced was the potential spasms that occurred when some of the nerves were stimulated during the operation. Any movement at all and he could have become permanently paralyzed. The anesthesia did not provide the necessary immobilization that would have been preferred. But they had to do the best with what they had, because there was not anything else available that they could use.

Fortunately, his father survived the operation without any devastating results. But the idea had been born. Brian wondered if there was any way to use the toxin in a medical procedure like his father's. What if he could find a way to provide a safe and temporary paralysis of the affected area to aid in the effectiveness of the operation. Thus preventing the catastrophic damage that could be done if the patient moved.

This idea took a while to gel, but when he turned his focus on it, Brian was excited at the possibilities. So many operations were done with the patient under complete anesthesia. That was always a risk. What if the procedures could be done with local treatment, thus avoiding the dangers of being 'put under'. Additionally, his research showed that many people were actually allergic to the common forms of anesthesias that were now in use. Most of them did not know it until they had adverse reactions to it on the operating table. His serum could avoid all of these dangers.

Though it had become his mission, his studies and research revealed the possible problems that would occur with the abuse of such a substance. Brian may have been a bit naive in some things, but he was not stupid. He intended to patent it in the formulation that would not be a danger to anyone. He kept the bulk of his research and notes locked up, thanks to Tom and his insistence that they always find a place to hide it when they were not in the lab. Brian was in full agreement that it was best kept from those who might be corrupt enough to misuse what was intended for humanitarian purposes.

It was a good thing that Tom trusted all of the men here. Brian had no problem sharing his studies with Gene, as he was talking one scientist to another. But Tom was well aware that there was a segment of the world's population who only used things for their own gain. He had been so diligent all this time, keeping the research carefully hidden from those people. And yet, at the same time that he was hiding it, he had been baiting people with it. That was how he had found Ed Aslak at Humelik. Sending out the information about Brian's research had done exactly what Tom had needed it to, Ed had walked right into his little trap.

Tom was fully aware that the Humelik company was not responsible for the actions of one person. It had been a perfect storm of conditions that led Ed to do what he did. Neither Ed nor Tom had any control over the economy or the accident that killed the president of the company, but Tom was not averse to the idea of using them for his purposes. He had followed the key players in the arms dealings for several years before he got close enough to identify one of them. He was convinced that this was the connection that they needed to bring down the whole structure. Through Ed, they had been able to lure the monster out of his lair. They had nicknamed the man Wyvern for his deceptiveness and savagery in getting what he wanted. The man was slick, they had assigned an agent to watch his office, since no one could ever get anywhere near his home. But even agent Knight had come up with next to nothing for her efforts.

They needed a break in the case. Wyvern was going to meet with Karl soon. If he went away from that meeting with the formula for the bastardized serum, they were all in big trouble. It was time for Tom to visit Hector. He was waiting on some communications from several people. He hoped to have some answers waiting for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A large umbrella was propped up in the pristine white sands on the beach. Seagulls screeched high overhead and the roar of the ocean was surprisingly calming. She reached over to grab her icy tropical drink. Drops of condensation were rolling down the sides of the tall glass. As she lifted it, the slippery glass slid out of her hand and tumbled on the ground, spilling its contents that immediately disappeared into the sand. She sighed, and suddenly another drink appeared in her outstretched hand. This time she brought the straw up to her lips and sipped the deliciously cool beverage. Her next sigh was one of perfect contentment.

The screeching of the gulls startled her, they seemed closer, the sound getting louder and louder. The lulling sounds of the water on the shore turned into a low and menacing growl. Kara sprang up in her bed and realized that the growl in her dream had actually been her own reaction to hearing the incessant buzzing of her computer connection. Similar to the old AOL dialup, the sounds of her link to the outside world were almost as annoying.

"What, what," she mumbled as she got out of bed, glancing at the clock to see that she had only had a few hours of sleep before this interruption. Unconsciously and completely out of habit, since she was not fully awake yet, she walked over to the coffee table where the equipment was. She put on the headset and opened the message. "Knight here, sir," she said as professionally as she could muster without having the rest that she needed so badly.

Kara was silent for the next few minutes, listening to the person on the other end of this connection. She nodded her head a few times, even though no one could see her. And then she drew her eyebrows together in a scowl. After another few minutes, she spoke.

"I think I have something for you. Give me a minute," she said. Removing the headset, she moved over to the kitchen table where the light was better. Smoothing out the crumpled paper she had stolen from Wyvern's trashcan, she laid it on the table and covered it with a clean sheet of paper. With a sound of disgust escaping from her lips, Kara mumbled as she started scribbling on the paper with a pencil.

"All the fancy schmancy equipment they have and it comes back to a technique that I learned in Kindergarten," she said under her breath as she watched the image from the page below emerge on her paper. Just like it had in grade school, the lead concentrated in the grooves left behind from what had been previously imprinted on the page underneath. How many of these 'secret codes' had she sent to her friends during all of those boring parts of her classes. Still, it amazed her to see what she had just uncovered.

She quickly moved back to her headset in the other room. "The meeting has been changed," she said with urgency in her voice. "There is an address that looks like it is in New York City... and a time…." She listened impatiently for a moment and then interrupted the speaker. "I don't care what the technician said," she huffed. "I can see it, and it says that the meeting is tomorrow." Her frustration now showing in her voice as well as the exigency, she finally spoke up one more time.

"You have the fingerprint, you know his identification now. You check to see if his passport has been used in the past ten hours. And then get back to me." Kara ended the connection and flopped down on the soft couch. She was too far away to do anything now. The man she had been watching had moved right out from under her, and she was as frustrated at herself for not seeing it coming, as she was at the guys at HQ who didn't want to listen to her.

As tired as she was, she knew there would be no getting any sleep now. Her orders would be changing very soon. She was no longer needed here. So she got herself up and showered. Within an hour or so, she was ready to go. Everything she needed was packed in a regulation khaki green duffle bag, with the exception of her small computer that was still linked to the satellite internet. Kara sat in her favorite chair and stared at it until it came to life with that awful sound.

"Yes Sir," she said. The conversation had only lasted a few minutes. She had her new orders. The equipment was quickly packed away and Kara headed to the base. In a few hours she would be on an army transport plane, on her way home, and reporting back to the office in DC.

Taking one last glance around, she mentally said goodbye to this place she had lived in for the past year. She threw her duffle over one shoulder and picked up the large trash bag. It was almost sad, she thought, that she could disappear without a trace so easily. Kara shrugged her shoulders and closed the door. She did not have to tell anyone how lonely that thought had made her. Nobody had to know how lonely she had been for the past several months. This was her job and she was good at it. For now that was all that mattered. For now that was enough. She tossed the garbage bag, and the last year of her life into the big trash bin behind the apartment building. And she was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXX

_A/N: For those of you that might not be aware of it, I have published an original novel, a romance. Breathless in Misty Falls can be found at Amazon dot com, where you can get a sneak peek of the first couple of chapters. I invite all of you to go and check it out. I hope you enjoy it. :)_

_Sandra St. James_

XXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXX


	19. Chapter 19

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Beginnings and Endings

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lights were so dim, she could barely see her surroundings. But within a few seconds of opening her eyes, Stephanie smiled and remembered exactly where she was. The quiet hush of the smooth flight allowed her to hear the steady breathing of the man who was holding her in his arms.

Stephanie was now only slightly groggy from the motion sickness pills she had taken before her flight left from Newark. But she could still keenly remember how she felt when she had landed at Dulles International airport last night. Unfortunately, Stephanie was suffering from nearly every side effect listed on the back of the box of Dramamine in her purse. What was worse, she wondered, having motion sickness or being drowsy and dizzy, and having blurred vision?

She actually stumbled off of the plane into Ranger's arms, he had been right there to meet her. Stephanie was overjoyed to see him, albeit through blurred eyes, in the middle of night. But she could never mistake that it was him, especially when he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her.

Oh yes, it was Carlos, even if she could not see him clearly, she could smell him, and feel him, and taste him. What else was she to do? Stephanie melted into his arms and let him guide her to their next flight. "I won't ask you how the flight was," he teased her. All she could do was roll her eyes, but she knew that even that motion would make her more dizzy, so she resisted the urge and just slightly shook her head.

The lights in the terminal seemed to glare so harshly, Stephanie kept her head tucked into Ranger's shoulder as much as she could. She was pretty much just walking along, not paying any attention to where they were headed. That drowsiness seemed to be getting worse, she was starting to regret taking the medication. She wanted to enjoy every minute with her husband. It was so sweet of him to plan all of this for them. She was absolutely not going to ruin it by being sick. Once they were on the train to take them out to the international terminals, Stephanie curled herself into the curve of his arm around her. "I love you, you know," she said and looked up in to his face. His smile told her everything, and she kissed him before he could respond.

"I know", he teased her, nodding. "Te amo mi amor." Ranger held her closer, once again he knew that there was no where he would rather be than right here, right now, with his beautiful wife in his arms. They were almost to their gate, Ranger stood, helping Stephanie as she swayed with the motion of the slowing train. She held on tight to him, through another dizzy spell.

Before she knew it, they were in a first class suite aboard the Emirates Air Lines. All of a sudden everything seemed so quiet. The lights were soft and she didn't see anyone else around. Stephanie thought that she she must be delirious, it did not look like any plane that she had ever been on. And then Ranger was actually tucking her into bed. Now she knew that she had to be seeing things.

"I'll never take any of those motion sickness pills ever again," she told him, "You would not believe the crazy hallucinations that I am having right now."

Her head rolled back onto his chest and she could feel the rumble of his laugh. "As long as I am in those hallucinations with you it's all good," he whispered into her ear. The feeling of his warm breath on her neck sent tingles throughout her body.

"Yeah, I'll take this kind of illusion any day," she giggled. Her grip with consciousness was slipping. All she could think was that this was the best dream that she had ever had. She could actually feel Ranger kiss her neck, her cheek, her lips. And this dream was in smellavision, there was a distinct scent of Bvlgari, mixed with the unmistaken essence of Ranger. She even felt his strong arms surrounding her as she drifted off to oblivion! Bliss, perfect bliss.

Easing out of the best sleep she could remember in her entire life, Stephanie let the smile she had worn last night came back to her lips. She was in love with the most wonderful man in the world. She would do anything, go anywhere to be with him. Flying was not her favorite thing because of her tendency to become air sick so easily. Those pills had done a number on her, but now she realized that the illusions she'd had were real. They were on an airplane, but there was a bed in a mini suite with just the two of them wrapped up in each other.

She realized that Ranger had arranged everything for their Honeymoon. He knew that a regular flight, like the one she had taken from Newark, would have made her miserable. So he had made other arrangements. This, laying in his arms and sleeping, would be the one thing that could make flying enjoyable for her.

Her movements woke him and Ranger opened his eyes to look into hers. "Morning Babe," he said.

Stephanie placed her hand on the side of his face. Running her fingers down his cheeks, she let them wander all the way along his neck to his shoulders. She squeezed his muscles. "You are not an illusion," she blurted out, causing him to laugh again.

She looked around, "Where are we exactly," she asked, taking in the luxury of their accommodations. What looked to be silk curtains closed them into the small bed, just wide enough for the both of them to lay on comfortably. Satin pillowcases covered the abundant supply of pillows that provided the soft cocoon that enveloped them.

Indirect light created the soft illuminations circling around the ceiling. It was just enough to let her see, but not enough to hurt her eyes first thing upon waking. Everything around them was shiny and smooth and perfect. She snuggled closer to him and sighed. "Never mind," she whispered, her eyes closed in a contented satisfaction. She could stay here, just like this, forever.

"Actually Steph," Ranger said, his voice deep with sleep. "We are almost there." He smiled as she rotated to look at him, never losing her contact with his body. He hated to say this next part, staying with her like this would be just fine with him too. " We slept the whole way, and if we want to eat breakfast, we should probably get ready now."

Stephanie thought for a moment, and all of a sudden she felt so shy. To avoid looking at him, she focused on his collar bone and asked a question in a barely audible voice. "I had some incredible dreams last night," she started, waiting until he nodded and she could feel him tilt his head to look at her. "Did we..." she leaned her head forward against his chest. "Did we..." she tried again. What was the matter? she thought desperately. They were married. They had been together. Why couldn't she ask this simple thing?

"I had some really incredible dreams," she said again, her voice muffled against his skin. Ranger lifted her chin so that he could look at her. Stephanie swallowed, "Are we part of the mile high club?" she finally said in almost a whisper, lowering her eyes. Before he answered, he kissed her gently on the lips. And then he waited for her to look up again.

"We slept the whole way," he repeated softly.

Her relief was immense, and she relaxed against him, her head now tucked into his neck. "Good," she said firmly. "I prefer to be completely conscious.." her comment was swallowed up when his lips found hers.

"Are you conscious now?" he asked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An endless darkened sky covered the skyline as far as the eye could see. The view from the fifth floor offices did not offer much of interest to Ed, so he turned and walked away from the windows and paced the open spaces. The moment that they had been able to get out of the care if the US government agencies, they had made their way to their New York offices.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. But now, Ed was wondering if he wanted to know how things were going with the business. All he knew from the hours that he had spent here, was that the staff had been thinned out, due to budget concerns, and that he could not yet talk with Karl about how the team was doing with the small amount of information that he was able to get him. Because of the time difference with the home office, Karl was not yet answering his e-mail or phone calls.

Suffering from a deplorable lack of relevant information, he was restless. Leo was nowhere to be seen, so Ed moved through the maze of desks to the Library, hoping to find him there. He knew that Leo was anxious to get back to his research of the serum, he was as aware of the urgency of it as he was. If he found a computer to use, Ed was sure that Leo would be trying to access the files they had encrypted online. They all needed answers.

The library was the research center of this office, and Ed was sure that he could find a few available computers there. Floor to ceiling shelves occupied three of the walls of the spacious room. Long tables ran parallel to each other in the center of the room, the computers were set up on each end of both tables. As predicted, Leo was using one of them, so Ed joined him, sitting down to check his own messages. Moments after opening his private account, Ed froze. The information he was reading was alarming. He may have made a sound that he was not aware of, Leo looked over at him and saw the expression on his face.

"Ed?" he said cautiously. "Anything wrong…" he ventured to ask.

"He is coming here."

"What?" he hesitated, "Who?" Leo inquired, even though he was pretty sure who Ed was talking about. Not many people could make Ed look that worried, or even scared.

"These messages were sent yesterday," Ed whispered in disbelief. "He is going to show up here in the morning."

Slumping in his chair, Ed tried to think through the problem facing him. Even if he had looked at his emails first thing when they had arrived today, there would still have been nothing that they could do about this. There was no information about how to get in contact with Gentleman X. He had always preferred his privacy, leaving Ed only a phone number in Europe to use.

The man was here for the formula. The serum that was not ready yet. When Karl had last told him of their progress, he said that they had hit a snag. Ed was pretty sure that they were still without the answers that they needed. If only he had been able to find the research that Brian Taylor had at the lab. How had everything gone so terribly wrong?

Now he tried to rationalize the situation. As much as Ed knew that the time frame he had given the buyer had long past, he knew that this guy was a professional, a man with a business to run. He had said that he needed to get the formula to his manufacturers in plenty of time to market the new serum. Ed understood all of this, this was Business 101. But he had been taken out of commission by no fault of his own, surely it would have to be understood that he could not honor the original delivery date.

Staring at the screen without seeing it, he envisioned his whole plan collapsing around him. How had it all come to this? He had been keeping Jasper's company going for all of these years. He had been good at it. The changes that had happened had been out of his control. But he had still kept his head about him and had devised a plan to keep the company on top.

Ed thought that he had come across this once in a lifetime opportunity. A chance to take care of his responsibilities to the company while at the same time, fulfilling his own dreams. It had all been so clear when he had stolen that first peek at the research being done by Dr Brian Taylor. The same information that Tom had planted for him to find. He had decided that he could be the one to save Humelik. He had liked the sound of that!

As distasteful as it had been to work with a man like Gentleman X, he knew that it was a necessary evil to get his product out into the marketplace. It was also the only way he had found to get the huge payout that he needed, that Humelik needed. Richard Alvari would never have approved of a transaction outside of his normal channels. But Ed had found this one time deal that would put him and the company ahead of the game. It had been a risk he had been willing to take, but only because of the benefits of the end results. And because he thought that with Leo and Karl in this with him, he had all he needed to develop the full potential of Taylor's formula.

But now, as far as he knew, he had nothing to offer anyone. He had lost his big chance, and he was not sure what to do next. Leo continued to stare at him. He wanted answers too. Ed shook his head, he didn't have any.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Tom entered the room, he could tell that Hector was on to something interesting. He was moving from one keyboard to another, his chair rolling him smoothly from one place to the next. Tom stayed at the door for a few moments just watching in stunned admiration.

"What have you found?" Tom finally asked as he moved into the room. Hector looked up at him briefly, nodding once and turned back to his monitor.

"We have a reciprocal link," Hector said, pointing to one of the monitors. Tom grabbed the stool and pulled up next to Hector. The same connection that they had made with Karl's computer was now showing up on Richard's. The message they sent must have opened his computer to them too. Thank Karl and his attempts at spying.

Tom started reading, the messages were offering more information than he could have imagined. He was becoming a bit alarmed. Karl was getting ready to make his move, and it looked like he intended to offer the formula the way it is right now. It was clear that they had not been able to finish it. Brians last bit of research had remained hidden away from them, but instead of keeping them from going ahead with their plans, it appeared that they were willing to give out the unstable formula that they had come up with.

This was bad. Tom was getting worried. With a look, Tom asked Hector if he could use one of the computers. Quickly he accessed his contact account with the agency. It was the only way he had, while he was undercover, to get information from the agency and other operatives about the mission. Immediately he saw the reports from Kara. What he read was absolutely amazing to him. After all this time, without having a single lead, she had found some of the most useful information on Wyvern. Now it was Tom's turn to be surprised that the man in question was actually coming here. He kept reading the report. The fingerprint that Knight had found was priceless. It not only identified the man, it connected Wyvern with a known group of arms dealers. The team was on it. Tom was able to follow all of the communications from the moment he was out of the loop after the kidnapping. Kara's discoveries had brought them right into the game again.

Suddenly he got a surge of excitement. The end was near, he could feel it. He sent a communique to the team. He had become too recognizable, first as the scientist associated with Brian, and then as one of the men who had been kidnapped. He would not be able be there personally, but he could send his encouragement and some suggestions. Especially to Kara. She was back and she was going to want to be in the middle of the whole thing. She deserved to be.

As much as Tom was concerned for the safety of every member who worked on the team, he had a special connection to Kara. Many people had moved in and out of the operation since it began so long ago. As the only woman that had been recruited in a while, he thought of her like a little sister. Funny, he thought, since they still had never met face to face, but they had been in close contact up until the kidnapping had happened. She was funny and dedicated and he did not want to see anything happen to her.

Hector had been humming an unfamiliar tune while Tom was working, and suddenly he realized that the humming had stopped. Tom looked up from his work. Hector was staring at a larger monitor that had a map lit up with several bright dots. He was studying the indicated positions. Scooting over to look at the map, Tom knew exactly what they were looking at. These were the last known locations of the men who worked with Wyvern. Next to the dot identifying the addresses, there was also a date. This was the date they were last seen in these places. Also accompanying the information was the name of an agent that was close to the vicinity. There were at least one or two listed in each area. Except for one.

Pointing at that dot, Hector was trying to work something out in his mind. Tom watched and waited patiently. Finally he said, "We have someone there, in that area." He pushed back from the table and sat as still as a statue, as if saying that had taken everything he had, and he was now drained of all energy. Tom continued to watch him.

"Who?" he asked Hector.

Abruptly he stood and stared at Tom for a moment. Then Hector walked out of the room mumbling something unintelligible in spanish, leaving Tom watching him in confusion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beyond the sparkling sands on the beach, the ocean stretched to the horizon in a deep blue that defied description. The screeching of seagulls high over head, blended in with the rhythmic surge of the waves. She could hardly believe that she was in Spain. They had immediately left Barcelona and found this beautiful beach.

Ranger stood behind Stephanie, his arms circled around her waist, as they took in the view. A large cruise ship was navigating the waters, its gleaming white exterior a stark contrast against the water. They watched it for a few minutes.

"This looks just like the photo on your desk," she said in admiration.

Ranger looked at her in surprise. "You knew?" he asked, a bit shocked.

Stephanie laughed, "Not even close," she said. "I just saw a picture of a beautiful ocean scene."

He hugged her closer, spending time alone with her was the only thing that mattered. And he intended to make the most of each moment. "Are you ready to go?" he asked as they left the pier and walked back to the rented car. "We are going to follow the same path as that ship. My family still thinks that we are on a cruise, I told them that we could not be reached on a ship," he said with a wink.

Suddenly their little party made more sense. The gifts, the things that they were packing. They were all perfect for a vacation on the ocean. They just didn't realize that with her motion sickness, it would have been a miserable trip. But Ranger had, and he had come up with an alternative that would make her happy. She loved him all the more for it.

Now they were off to their next destination. After a drive along the coast, they would be spending the night in Narbonne, France. Stephanie knew that it did not matter where they went, being together was all she cared about. That and the fact that they were truly alone for the first time since they had been married.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_A/N I'd like to thank so many of you for your interest in my book. As well as on Amazon, Breathless in Misty Falls can be found at Authorhouse dot com. _

_ It is the first book in my Misty Falls series. I hope you'll enjoy it! _

_ Sandra St James_


	20. Chapter 20

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Together

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Early morning haze has settled over Trenton as the team returned from their trip to DC. The guys were a little bit tired from the driving, and from staying up for nearly twenty four hours straight, but that did not dampen their spirits. They all knew that this was probably the last debriefing that they would ever be doing with Ranger. And it all felt different.

They had seen a Ranger that they had never imagined before. As soon as the General had surprised them with his performance, he shooed Ranger right out of the building. He knew that he was planning on meeting Stephanie at the airport. Tank had told him all about their delayed honeymoon, and had recruited his help to get him there on time. They wasted no time in arranging a ride to the airport for him.

None of the men had ever seen this side of their boss before. He was excited, and nervous, and restless. All because of the surprise that he had arranged for Stephanie. If they hadn't known it before, they now knew that he was totally and completely in love with her. The consensus was that it was about time. Those two deserved to be together, but they didn't need to say it to him. He knew it too.

The fun had almost started without them. Although the routine around RangeMan could settle down, now that the guys were back from the debriefing, a new show was just starting. It was operation baby watch. In an unspoken rule, everyone was on alert.

Ram was on duty when the team rolled in. He and Vince watched as the guys got back. There had been a lot of activity with trucks arriving and cars leaving as Ranger's sisters left to go to work. They kept a careful eye out, making sure that the gate was securely closed after the girls drove out. After a few hours, they got a phone call from Ranger's apartment. Camila was letting them know that they should be expecting another visitor very soon. Just after disconnecting from that call, they opened the gate and watched in amazement as the big buick cruised into the garage and found a place near the elevators. It was a sight that they knew they were going to see for the next ten days. Vince consulted the schedule to confirm that it was Helen Plum's turn to be here. Security for the baby would always be at an all time high. But with Ranger and Stephanie gone, it was ramped up even more. No one would let anything happen to Mat, not on their watch.

All of the volunteer babysitters had agreed to come here to Ranger's apartment to watch Mat. That way the men could screen each person who arrived. This morning Helen Plum made her way to the elevator to go to the seventh floor. In her previous visit, Ella had pointed out the cameras that they used to watch the garage. She smiled a bit self consciously then turned to the camera and waved, unsure who exactly she was waving to, but wanting to be polite just the same. Ram watched her and had to smile himself. Stephanie always greeted them with a small finger wave when she came in, it was nice to see that her mother exercised the same courtesy.

Helen got into the elevator and it started moving, even before she pushed the buttons. She had not been aware that the elevator needed an override to get her up to the apartment, or that they were able to do it from the control panel since she did not have a keyfob to use. She didn't think anything of it, it had happened this way the last time she was here too, when Ella brought her up.

He watched the hallway monitor to see her arrive. Ram and Vince could see that she was greeted by Ranger's mother, she had Mat on her shoulder, and was swaying back and forth, patting his back. The security camera allowed him to see the ladies as they entered the door and closed it behind them. Unconsciously, Ram relaxed, he knew that Mat was safe at home.

Camila started chatting the second that Helen arrived. With her girls at work this morning, Camila was going to spend some time getting to know Helen. After all they were family now! As soon as Helen put down her things, Camila handed her one of the little layette blankets that had been lying on the arm of the couch. Helen smiled, not only was she going to be holding Mat, she recognized this blanket from the collection of baby things that she had given Stephanie. A rush of emotions coursed through her. She placed Mat on her shoulder and kissed his soft little cheek. Just think, she once worried that Stephanie would never know this joy, this miracle of holding a child close in her arms. How glad she was that her daughter had a way of proving her wrong, in the most unique ways!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His eyes were glued to the screen, Ed started to panic. All of a sudden, his plan seemed foolhardy and extremely dangerous. Why hadn't he seen before what this whole thing had done to him, he wondered? He had been scheming, and sneaking behind peoples backs. He had orchestrated clandestine meetings and trips around the globe, looking for what he needed to make the transaction work with someone he didn't even know, did not trust. He had disregarded the company protocol and carefully worked around Alvari to do this.

Worse, he had dragged in his friends to help him do it. Leo had been so eager to please, it had not taken that much to persuade him to come along. Suggesting that he could make his own mark, be known as the man who developed the serum that saved the company, had been an underhanded thing to do. He knew how much his friend had always felt like he lived in his father's shadow. Promising him his own spotlight as a hero had effectively deactivated Leo's internal safety defense, the one that would have told him that they were not doing things the right way.

And what about poor Karl? What kind of position had he driven Karl into? He was proud of the way that he had come to their rescue, pushing the authorities to do everything possible to find them and to get them out of the hostage situation. But then Karl had taken on the full weight of his plan. Karl who was the kind one, the friend you go to when you need a lift. How could he have turned Karl into an international player in a game he didn't even know the rules for?

Ed was at an all time low in that moment. He looked over at Leo. The concerned expression, the look of fear in his eyes. What had he done? And now, what could he do to make it all go away, to make things right again?

While his thoughts were pounding his brain, Ed had not noticed that a visitor had shown up. He was talking to one of the secretaries just outside of the library doors. Ed did not see him until he was already in the room and closing the door behind him.

He stalked toward Ed and Leo, a fierce look in his eyes. This man was here with a purpose. One that did not look like it would bode well for them. Fleetingly, Ed wondered if his own terrified fear showed on his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Agent Knight looked around the room, the one it felt like she had been trapped in ever since she had arrived back in DC. Maps with colorful pins stuck in them lined the walls. Papers were piled all over the long conference room tables. Cups of cold coffee were scattered everywhere, forgotten, just like the one she held in her own hands.

She should not be here, she kept thinking. The man she had trailed for a year was in New York City. They already had confirmation of his arrival. Photos of him at the airport accompanied the collection of mug shots of the other members of the arms dealers 'club'. They were tacked up on the large bulletin board that had been wheeled into the room not too long ago. Her discovery of the fingerprint had opened up this investigation in way they had only dreamed of. Making the connection between these men was a huge part of it, but knowing that they were going to catch one of them in the middle of a transaction was going to change everything.

As she stared at the photos, she knew that her job was not over. No matter how many times she had been congratulated on her successful mission, she knew that she needed to be there when it all went down, she wanted to be a part of this til the end. After all, you don't just give up more than a year of your life to step back and let everyone else clean up for you. Yet, her she sat. Restless, waiting, infuriated that she had not been given her clearance to join the team in New York.

Finally a tall man in a dark suit walked into the room. Kara stood immediately, she put down the cup and walked toward him. With a nod, and a handshake, he handed her a manila envelope. She took it and left without a backward glance. She was on her way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standing to stretch his muscles again, Jasper moved around the room with the grace of the world class athlete that he was. Richard watched him. Paul watched him. Karl watched him. They were all thinking the same thing. He had shown a strength of leadership and a loyalty to the company that they had not expected. A mixture of emotions accompanied those thoughts.

Richard was so proud. Jasper's father had been his close friend, it had been a personal tragedy when he had died. The future of this company now stood before him, confident, and ready face the next battle head on. Otto would have every reason to be proud of his son, and Richard intended to let Jasper know that.

The feelings that Paul had were similar to Richard's. They had all been friends, partners from the beginning. Paul's admiration of Jasper's determination, however, was tempered with the profound disappointment in what was happening with his own son. He felt like he had let Leo down, let the company down, by stepping away from them too soon after the Otto's death. The grief had been so painful at the time, he had not seen through it to see how it had affected his son. He was full of regrets, but ready to assist Jasper in any way that he could to help save Humelik, and hopefully save Leo at the same time.

A grateful relief soothed Karl's mind. After acknowledging his part in the plan, he had detailed all the information that he had access to. Richard was able to bring in security and immediately shut down the preparation of the formula. Terri had not been nearly as cooperative as they had hoped. He actually tried to attack one of the guards. He was now in police custody. A whole list of charges were pending, but Richard would get back to that after this pressing incident had passed. Luckily, Ari had the recordings to show that he had opposed Terri's ideas, that he had been the one to say that the formula they had was not safe. Karl knew the kid had been as easily influenced by Ed as he had, and he was glad to know that Ari's career was not over before it even began. With his cooperation, they would be able to clean up this whole mess and get started on Jasper's vision of the future.

Never in their wildest imagination, had they thought that Jasper would be here, taking charge of the big mess the company was in. They were now amazed at the ease with which he seemed to have in juggling the tasks that needed to be done.

They watched as Jasper adjusted the settings on the screen of the monitor. Moments later, the image of Ed Aslak appeared. From the New York office, he sat in front of a monitor with a camera. He looked tired, yet there was something about him that seemed to radiate hope. Ed had called to set up this teleconference to make things right. They all had their doubts that he could do that, but they were willing to hear what he had to say.

Ed briefly explained the current situation while they silently listened. Each man making his own determinations about the problems that faced them. Before any discussion could take place, Ed moved to the side and another man entered the screen. He was introduced as an agent in the sting operation designed to shut down a huge illegal arms conglomerate.

Their attention had been on the screen and no one had noticed that Jasper had left the room. He now walked up to the front of the room with two men. They were also introduced as agents in the sting operation. It was all starting to feel like a bad dream. Karl started sweating, he knew that his role in this situation put him in a bad spot. He hoped that he wasn't going to end up in a cell next to Terri.

Instead, the men singled him out and asked for his help. Karl was stunned. That was the last thing that he had expected. But the men explained that he was now a known contact. His involvement with the next phase of the the operation would give them the advantage they needed. Karl just nodded his head, he would do anything that they asked him to. But it would be a while before his ability to speak would return to his overloaded mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The setting sun shimmered over the turquoise blue ocean. The reflections looked like a river of gold making its way up to the sands of the shoreline. From the deck of their room right on the beach, Stephanie admired the view, breathless at the beauty that stretched out to meet where the ocean touched the sky.

Coming up behind her, Ranger wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. It was never possible to be too close, to touch her enough. She filled him with a joy that could not be contained. Leaning down to nuzzle her neck, his kisses ignited fires in her that matched the brilliance of the blazing sun on the horizon.

Her breathlessness was now caused by the way her heart pounded whenever Ranger took her into his arms. The way the need inside of her begged him to come even closer. With minimal effort, Stephanie stepped back into him and pushed them both into the room again. Pulling the curtains closed, she turned around in his arms and guided him further back until his legs bumped up against the bed.

"You know, at this rate, we will never get that walk on the beach that you wanted," he said with a mischievous smile. He pulled her with him as he fell onto the bed. The profusion of decorative pillows found their way to the floor again. And in moments, the beach was all but forgotten.

Late into the night, Stephanie sat out on the deck staring at the dark expanse of the ocean. "I like the ship from this vantage point," she said. They both looked up to see the strings of lights that were hung from one end of the ship to the other, the outline being reflected in the water it waited in. She picked up the jar of nuts and sprinkled some in his hand before grabbing some for herself. They both picked up the fancy bottles of water. Their midnight picnic was compliments of the hospitality basket that had been provided with their reservation, Ranger grabbed a couple of apples and handed one to Stephanie as he pulled her up into his arms.

"How about that stroll on the beach now," he whispered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A mission that had taken this long to uncover deserved a spectacular ending. Tom had tried to convinced himself that he was just fine with being in the background on this one. But sitting back and letting others do all the work had never been his way of operating, and it would not cut it today. So here he was, in a disguise that no one would have guessed. He was actually ready to go out looking like Tanner Drake.

Over the past couple of months, his hair had grown out. He was a definite blond again now. And without the contacts and glasses, his hazel eyes were much lighter and stood out against his tanned skin. The weight he had lost gave his face more angular planes, resulting in a ruggedly handsome appeal. Holding his posture erect, he looked every inch of his natural height, and the black clothes he now wore showed a lean, hard body. In fact, Tom now looked like he fit right in here with the rangemen.

Unfortunately, his strength was not back enough to take an active role, and that bothered the man who had spent so much of the past decade trying to find the monsters that they were going to capture today. But he would be there to see it, and for now, that was going to have to be enough. Tom turned from the mirror and walked out of the bathroom. By the time Brian came into the apartment, he was sitting on the couch, tying his shoes. Brian raised an eyebrow. This was unexpected, at first he thought that he had walked into the wrong room, and he turned to leave.

"Hang on there Taylor," Tom said. Brian turned around, he stared at him for a very long moment. Just as Tom was about to say something else, Brian moved closer.

"Tom?" he asked. "Is that you?" He walked around his friend and took in the transformation. For being as intelligent as he was known to be, Brian could now only formulate one word questions.

"What?" was the first one. "How?" came the second. "Who?" followed that. Tom smiled and motioned for Brian to have a seat on the chair nearest to him.

"Colonel Tanner Drake," he introduced himself with an exaggerated handshake. "Also widely known as Tom Dutton, scientist extraordinaire." He tried to lighten the mood with his smile, but he could see that this revelation was disturbing to Brian. He could well understand how it could be. This had not been the way he intended to present the truth to him, but circumstances had dictated otherwise.

Brian continued to stare, he was working this out in his mind. Finally he looked into Tom's eyes. He asked another question. One word again, "Where?" Tom understood immediately, and he started to explain.

Fifteen minutes later, Brian had the readers digest condensed version of the mission that Tom had been on for years. He knew what his own part had been in this operation and now he knew that Tom was leaving to participate in the take down of the man that he had been tracking for so long. Much to his own surprise, Brian was not upset, in fact he seemed a bit honored that it had been his research that had led Tom to work with him and that had helped him to find a way to expose this monster. He had just one more word to say, "Okay."

Now Tom was confused. Brian seemed so calm. After hearing that he had been deceived by someone who had been acting not only as his colleague, but also his friend, he would have expected a more emotional response.

"Okay?" Tom asked the question back to him. Brian nodded.

"Let's go get him," he said. Tom had not expected this. No way could he let Brian come along. He was too weak from this ordeal, he was not trained, he was not prepared for this kind of thing. Tom started to shake his head. But before he could say anything, Brian held up his hand.

"The way I see it, we are in this together," he said. "We have been through a heck of a lot in the past few months, and I'll be damned if I'll let you make me sit this one out."

His defiant stance almost made Tom smile. He knew Brian well enough to know that he had just dug in his heals and would not take no for an answer. Ironically, this is almost exactly the conversation that he was afraid that he was going to have with his team. Neither one of them should probably want to be there. But here they were and they both wanted to see this all the way through. Tom knew that he would be back away from the danger. He would not be getting in anyone's way. So he almost started to think that it would be okay to take Brian along with him.

But before he did anything more foolish than he already had, by telling Brian about the whole operation, he stopped to think it over from every angle. Brian watched him. He let him work it out. He knew the way Tom approached problems. They had years working together, he knew to be patient.

Finally Tom made his decision. It would mean that he would have to keep himself even further away from the action than he preferred, but he was willing to take Brian with him. Partly because he knew that they would end up spending hours arguing about it, and he just did not have time for that. And partly because he really felt that he deserved to see what their years together had been for. Once his mind was made up, he jumped into action. Brian would need his own disguise. They would have to work on that soon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tank had gathered a small group of his men into the conference room. This evening meeting was the direct result of the information that Hector and Tom had received today. In a little over twelve hours, a massive operation was being conducted globally. It had been years in the making, but recent events now made it the number one priority. RangeMan had just been asked to join with Tom and his team.

Hector entered the room, followed by Tom and Brian. All of the men now knew that Tom Dutton was Vapour, and they all stood as he walked in. Inside, Tom was touched and felt a surge of pride in his fellow rangers. But outwardly, he nodded his acknowledgement and took his seat, inviting all of them to follow suit. If they were surprised to see Brian here, they did not show it. They all trusted Tom's judgement in this mission. They were here to find out what help he needed from them, and they all knew that time was of the essence.

"Gentlemen," Tom said, directing their attention to the screen on the wall. Hector held the remote and called up several images. A quick presentation showed the photos of the arms dealers that they were after. Of the twelve pictures that were shown, only one elicited a response from all of the men in the room. Hector nodded, he had recognized this man too, they had run into him before. As monsters go, he was one of the worst. Because he had no conscience whatsoever.

Without any explanation, Tom had Hector show the map. It was marked as the one in DC had been, with the locations and last sightings of these men. Tom now opened the channels to include the RangeMan office in Miami. Once he had everyone's attention, Tom began to explain the situation. "We have two agents in the vicinity of each of the men we are looking for with the exception of Miami and Andorra." He stopped to indicate these locations on the map. "We are asking for help in Miami as we try to get some people into Spain." Tank nodded, and he continued. "The scope of the investigation changed very recently. We are needing to attempt a multiple sting operation in all of these areas simultaneously." Now he looked around the room at each of the men. "And we need to get it coordinated to carry it out by 0900 tomorrow morning.

No one spoke, but an audible intake of breath filled the rooms in both Trenton and Miami. This was incredibly short notice, but they were ready to do what needed to be done.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	21. Chapter 21

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No," Hector said again. "We can not contact Ranger." His frustration showed. It was reasonable that Ranger did not want to be disturbed on his honeymoon. Everyone understood that. But it was now a matter of international importance. Tank sighed, "I was afraid of this," he said. "It was a good thought, but if we can't get the message to him..." he left it at that. They all knew that there was no point in trying to find him. Hopefully Tom's people would be get there in plenty of time.

Immediately, they told Tom that even though Ranger was in the right location, there was no way to get him involved. He was surprised when Tom just shrugged. Yeah, it would have been convenient to have Ranger take care of this. But they did have some men already in transit to intercept the man who they knew as Morboso. It wouldn't be too much longer before they were in place.

The whole operation depended on secrecy and timing. All of the agents needed to be in place to make their moves at the same time. It would be disastrous if any one one of these arms dealers got word of the traps. If they got away now, they would go into hiding and who knows when they would emerge again. These people were far more dangerous when they did their business behind the many shields that they could create. The fact that they had been deliberately lulled into a false sense of security for the past couple of years had been part of the plan to get them out of their holes.

Knight's discovery had let them know just how well the plan had worked. The fact that their intel could find each of these men, and showed exactly where they had been, meant that they all thought that they had no reason to hide. Of course they were watching Wyvern even more closely now. They had seen him arrive in the airport. The agents had followed him to a hotel only blocks away from the Humelik offices. Then they had seen him go to another location. A house in the outskirts of the city. The two men that were following him were still there, waiting for him to leave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was a quiet hush as they stepped out on to the beach. The silvery light of the moon created a glow that was enough to illuminate the sands and light their way. Stephanie kicked up some sand, and caught a glimpse of her foot. 'Diva' the box that held these shoes had said. The turquoise criss cross straps nearly glowed in the dark. Stephanie laughed, earning a raised eyebrow from Ranger.

"The note that they left with these shoes said that we would not slip on the deck when we wore them," she said. Ranger laughed with her.

"I wonder if they will be okay with us wearing them on the beach instead of the deck," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked. He had to give them credit. While his family may have gone overboard in their enthusiasm to help him with their honeymoon, they had thought of some things that he never would have. And right now he was glad they had thrown in the water shoes. Walking along the beach in moonlight is not romantic if you step on something sharp. In fact it could ruin the mood completely!

Soon all thoughts of what they had on their feet were forgotten. The sky was filled with brightly twinkling stars. A soft breeze gently brushed their clothes and delivered the sharp salty scent from the water. The ocean shimmered, reflecting the glowing beams of moonlight. They walked slowly, arms wrapped around each other, their thoughts on the magic that they felt when they were with each other like this.

Up ahead was a grouping of trees that jutted out onto the sandy beach, from where they were, it looked like a dark shape void of light, but as they got closer, they could see that a few benches had been placed among the low lying branches. They stopped to sit on the blocky cement seats to look out over the view. The ship was still out there, all lit up.

Staring out, Stephanie absently grabbed Ranger's hand and wove her fingers through his. She did not realize what she had done, until he lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles gently. "What are you thinking?" he asked. "You seem far away."

Turning to gaze up into his eyes, she smiled. "Do you remember that night, after the wedding phone call?" she asked him. He cocked his head to the side, wondering. Then he nodded.

"I stood next the window as we talked. There was a big moon glowing that night too." Again he nodded. He clearly remembered that night. He had rocked Mat in his arms while he had talked to Stephanie. The only light in the room had been from the moon shining in through the open curtains.

"I had never felt so far away from you, or so close to you, all at the same time," she whispered. Ranger closed his arms around her and hugged her tightly to him. She laid her head on his shoulder. It was odd, but she felt the same way tonight.

Suddenly she asked, "What are you feeling right now?"

Of course, that question took him by surprise. But, by the tremble in her voice, he knew that this was not a random or frivolous query. So he examined exactly what had been going through his mind. And if he was honest with himself, and with her, he was scouting out the end of the peninsula that they could just see through the branches behind them. There had been some movement and he was not entirely comfortable not knowing what it was. He started trying to explain it in terms that would not sound alarming. He was always aware of his surroundings, it was second nature, and he had his wife to protect tonight. It was natural to want to feel safe.

Stephanie put her fingers over his mouth in the middle of the explanation. She nodded to let him know that she understood.

"I feel funny all of a sudden," she said softly. "Like something is not right."

At that moment, they heard voices. Ranger pulled Stephanie down behind the bench, crouching low in its dark shadow. He looked back at the way they had come. With no cover on the flat beach, they could not make it back to their room unnoticed. They would have to stay hidden until they could figure out what was going on.

The rapid spanish continued. They were speaking in what amounted to stage whispers. But the words were completely clear to Ranger. He looked up, now he could make out the silhouettes of the men, and they were coming closer. He recognized the tone of voice now, the arrogant manner. He knew that voice.

He shrank back, shielding them from view. How he hated the man walking towards them. From the shiny top of his bald head to the tip of his highly polished boots, the corpulent man reeked of self importance. What was he doing here? He was absolutely the last person on earth that he wanted to see.

Before Ranger could move, the men came into the thicket of trees and El Morboso sat heavily on the bench. Stephanie drew back a bit further into the shadow of her husband. Her eyes were wide with confusion, fear. Ranger pulled her close, and silently pressed a kiss on top of her head. Something about his posture changed and stephanie looked up at him. Ranger had a look of steely determination. She knew that the strange feelings that she had felt had come from these men. Something was very wrong with this situation. And although she knew she wasn't going to like it, she knew that Ranger was going to have do something about it before they got into trouble.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Over the years, Tom had uncovered dozens of small illegal arms scams, the players had been selfish and small time. They were stopped and locked away, but they never had led to the big problem, to the men who he was after. The sophisticated and dangerous game of the arms dealers, some of whom had even influenced the rise and fall of nations. Among them were the mercenary sellers. Out to make as much money as they could, but there were others who were far more dangerous. They played god by offering just the right weapon for the results that they wanted. They were known to contact unscrupulous leaders in governments, suggesting plans of action that would bring them power, but would ultimately result with these leaders playing right into their hands. It was just regrettable that some of these same government officials ended up as casualties of the very wars that they started. New, specially chosen leaders took their places. Most of them never realizing that they were nothing more than puppets for these men who pulled their strings.

That is what made these men so dangerous. They were not selling weapons solely to make a profit. Their goal was much more devious than that. They wanted to gain power, and they were doing it one small nation at a time. Tom would not rest until they were stopped. That was his mission.

Through the night, Tom worked with the team to be sure that all the agents were ready. Knight was in New York, she had just settled in to guard the Humelik building when she got word that the house Wyvern was supposed to be in had exploded. Kara shook her head, she knew exactly what was happening, how many times had she told the team that the guy was the ultimate professional. He had probably spotted the men following him and he had led them out there to get rid of them. She hoped that the agents had not been injured in the blast. But her focus was now on the big man sneaking back into his hotel room.

She kept her eyes on him. The surveillance camera, that they had planted while he had been gone earlier, showed him laying on top of the bed. Apparently resting, now that he thought that no one knew where he was. Looks like the man is going to keep his appointment with Ed in the morning, Kara thought. How civilized of him, she nearly sneered. She had hated this man for over a year. Her feelings had not changed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A thousand thoughts were going through his head. None of this had been planned. Ranger did not want to do what he knew he had to, not with Stephanie here. This man sitting just a few feet from him was one of the worst kind of human beings that ever walked the earth. What was he doing here, he wondered.

They had usually known Morboso to stay in the most exclusive hotels, hiding behind his body guards. What had brought him out tonight? As far as Ranger could tell, he only had two men with him. Why would he do that? Shephanie's gut feelings, her spidey sense, served her well again. There was definitely something not right here. Ranger was torn between wanting to get her out of here safely, and taking action to bring this guy down. He was at a loss, not knowing what would be the best thing to do.

Ranger felt her hand pull his chin around so that she could look at him. Stephanie smiled, kind of a half smile and motioned toward the fat man sitting there. She kissed his cheek and her hand then touched the gun that she knew he carried holstered around his ankle. As she pulled back into the trees a little bit more, he nodded at her and then made his move.

Sneaking around the back of one of the trees, he stealthily moved down to the end of the peninsula to scout out the situation, and make sure that there were no more guards anywhere. Near the water was a shallow barge-like boat. It had been dragged up on the sandbar of the inlet leading to a small cove. The flat boat had boxes piled up about three feet high, but they were mostly covered with the tarp that was tied down on top, securing as well as concealing the cargo. An open top dune buggy was parked just beyond the barge, it must have been the only means to get the little fat man out here, he sure wouldn't have been able to walk the distance in his condition. But why was he here? It wasn't like Morboso to do his own dirty work.

Morboso had only brought two guards to accompany him tonight. It was not like him at all either. Whoever his clients were, they had made some very specific demands on the delivery of the goods. Ranger would let this work to his advantage. First he grabbed the guard who had been keeping watch near the barge. With his arm securely against his throat, Ranger silently choked him until he passed out, then he lowered the limp body down onto the wet sand. He reached into the nearest end of the boat and found some extra rope. Quickly he bound the hands and feet of the guard and pulled him behind the trees. The other guard was going to be more of a challenge, because of his proximity to Morboso. Ranger looked over to see the man move closer to where Stephanie was hiding. His heart started to pound. He needed to get him away from her. He jumped into the dune buggy and raced it around to the benches.

The fat man struggled to stand up as he saw the car coming closer, he was angry. This was not the plan, they were to discreetly wait to meet with their contact tonight. His body guard moved forward attempting to divert the small vehicle away from his boss. Ranger swerved around him and circled back to head right for him. The man jumped out of the way at the last minute, stumbling in the sand. Ranger allowed just a hint of a smile. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, he thought. Coming around at him again, he spun past Morboso, turning tight while slamming on the brakes and spraying him with sand. The corpulent man started screaming obscenities in spanish while his pudgy hands attempted to rub the sand out of his eyes. Ranger jumped out of the car to neutralize the bodyguard who was still trying to stand up.

Tackling him, Ranger easily brought him down, but before he had a chance to get to his gun, the large man tried to prove that he was not giving up without a fight by pulling out a knife. The glint off the blade in the moonlight made Stephanie gasp from her hiding place. No one could hear her, not with the noise Morboso was making. She watched the flash of the blade as it slashed through the air and she knew that she had to do something. She had not brought any weapons of her own, and was starting to feel helpless when she bumped against a fallen branch. It wasn't huge, but it was big enough that it could do some damage. Stephane grabbed it and tossed it on the ground close to Ranger. In a smooth movement he stooped to grab it, missing the swipe of the knife over his head, and brought it up like a bat into the ribcage of his attacker.

As the man doubled over, Ranger swung the branch up and slammed into his face, breaking his nose and knocking him out. Morboso was still howling, blinking his eyes trying to see what had just happened to his hired muscle. When he started to yell at him to get up, Ranger had had enough of the horrible little man. He turned to deal with him when he saw two more men approaching them.

Now he brought his gun up to point at them, and he moved slowly toward Stephanie. She was not standing, but she was no longer hidden, and he did not want to take any chances. The men watched the movement and stopped, understanding that he was protecting her and knowing that they had found the man who had done their job for them. Immediately they moved in to subdue Morboso and they identified themselves, letting Ranger know that they were part of Tom's team.

At that point Stephanie rushed into Ranger's arms. He held her closer that he had ever held her before, the adrenaline still pumping through his system. Tom's men quickly explained that the clients were going to be showing up any minute, and they were prepared with backup to take them in with Morboso and his goons. They asked Ranger and Stephanie to hide again, in the cover of the trees. It was determined that they still did not have enough time to safely make it back to their room without being seen. As much as he did not want to be here any more, Ranger was more than glad to give the responsibility for this mission right back to these men. It was a game he did not want to play any longer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

The drive into New York was uneventful. Tank and the guys were in place, out of sight and ready for the meeting to take place. Tom and Brian were directed to the room that Kara had been hiding out in all night. The introductions were quickly made and they all got back to their jobs. Kara smiled as she went back to her surveillance. she had always wondered what Vapour would be like. Now she knew. He had as commanding a presence in person as she had always felt when she had talked to him. But it was the other man she had met, Dr Taylor, that occupied her mind now. She stole a glance his way. What was it about him that kept her thoughts on him?

It was interesting to watch Tom now. Brian was amazed at the authority that he had over this team. Now everything made sense to him. The hiding places for their research. The short trips that Tom had made frequently. The conversations about the implications of his work, and the way Tom had made him realize that in the wrong hands it could be dangerous.

On the surface, it looked like Brian could have had reason to be upset that Tom had used him. But a by product of having spent so much time together was that Brian knew Tom, knew that he was an honorable man. And more than anything else, Brian trusted him. Had trusted him with his life on more than one occasion. He was glad to be here right now. Watching Tom and the team as they got ready to take out the man who had been trying to misuse his formula for the wrong reasons. He was actually very angry to know that it could happen, and to see some of the men responsible for it. He was not quite sure what he was going to do when he saw Ed Aslak or Leo Markus again.

But at the moment, his focus was on something else entirely. Brian was watching Kara Knight. From the moment Tom had introduced them, he had been unable to clearly think of anything else. Brian had not considered himself a romantic. He had never really given it any thought. But somehow everything had changed for him in the moment he had looked into her eyes. He still felt a little star-struck. And he was not sure what he was going to do about this either.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

All around the globe, the top players in an international game of espionage and arms dealings were under the careful watch of Tom's team with the help from Ranger's men. Word from all of them was constantly being relayed back to the home base, and Tom was keeping his eyes on the information flowing in. In Miami, Spain, Greece, Sweden, Egypt,Iraq, Uzbekistan, Canada, Venezuela, they were all in place and ready to move. Tom looked at his watch, in another two hours, the work he had been doing for so long would be mostly over.

As he let that thought sneak in, Tom's eyes wandered around the room. Men on the computers were keeping track of the rest of the team, Kara was helping while at the same time watching Wyvern. Brian was keeping discreetly in the background, but he was highly alert and carefully watching the activity going on.

Tom turned back around and looked at Kara. He was glad to have finally met her. He was equally glad that she was no longer in Sweden. Not that she had not been up to the challenge of the job, it was just that he had always felt responsible for her safety and she had been alone there for so long. Their weekly check in was his way of knowing that she was okay. She reminded him of his sister, headstrong and opinionated and extremely loyal. All of these traits and more described Kara too. And like his family, Tom was relieved to know that she was safe.

Just as he moved closer to look at the screen showing the map, Tom saw Kara turn her head ever so slightly to look at … Brian. He was surprised and watched for a moment longer to be sure that was what he saw. Then he looked at Brian. A slight reddening of his cheeks was the only outward sign that he could see that indicated that Brian was well aware of Kara's glances. Tom smiled as he once again looked at the monitor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	22. Chapter 22

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While it appeared quiet on the Comm room floor, it was anything but a calm morning for the RangeMen. Being involved in two of the takedowns, in two locations, all offices were on alert. Everyone was following the action, looking at the same information that Tom was seeing every time the agents checked in.

It had been a shock when they got word of Ranger's accidental involvement with the takedown of El Morboso. It was not a surprise to anyone that he had been ready to do what needed to be done, even in the spur of the moment situation. That Stephanie had been instrumental in helping him out made them proud. But they had also been worried about her, this was not a business that they wanted her to have to experience, to be touched by. They would have all done their best to shield her from it. But the fact that she had come to the aid of her husband did not surprise them at all, Stephanie was always showing that she had many skills that even she did not know she had until she needed them . Keeping her head clear and anticipating what Ranger needed in that moment was just one more example of her amazing abilities. It made them smile, while at the same time they were relieved to hear that Ranger got her out of there the moment Tom's people showed up to take over. They all wanted her out of harms way.

Another sigh of relief had rippled through the offices as they were watching the events unfold. Many of the men had seen the results of this Morboso's business in several countries that they had been to on their missions. It was easy to hate the man who had not only been responsible, but who was so arrogant that he proudly proclaimed his involvement in destroying so many people. It was also easy to delight in the capture of the slimeball.

While they may have not had direct involvement with the other men that were being watched this morning, all of the rangemen were happy to see Tom get rid of this network of dangerous men. None of them liked the games that were played with the lives of innocent people in so many of the countries around the world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His palms were sweating, he had never been so nervous in all his life. Ed looked at the clock, again. It seemed that time was standing still. His life, as he had known it, had all changed so dramatically this year, all because of his involvement with the man who referred to himself as Gentlemen X. If he had been in the mood to laugh, he would have seen the humor in the stupid name. A name that was meant to portray a civilized, and fair person. It was just another layer of the disguise that the man put on to cover the evil and ugly thing that he was inside. As it stood now, he thought that Tom's code name for the awful man was much more appropriate. Wyvern brought up the images of terror, and ruthlessness and raw power. All the things that he had seen too late.

Another wave of nausea swept through his body. How could he have ever considered working with this man? How could he have been so naive? That he had actually bought into the act the man put on, believing that he was doing the world this enormous favor by sharing this serum. Allowing himself to think that it was his altruistic nature to want to provide the latest in medical miracles to alleviate the suffering of so many. If the color of the money he would be making had not blinded him, would he have seen through the charade?

It terrified him to know that he had been so close to making a deal with this man. Ed sat quietly now, alone with all of these thoughts. The agents who had contacted him were in another room. Waiting for the meeting that had been arranged for this morning. They would be listening and watching everything that was happening. All Ed had to do was play his part. He just had to keep cool. But the way he was feeling right now, that was the last thing that he thought he could do. In a desperate attempt to calm down, he picked up a bottle of water from the tray that had been placed in the center of the table. Slowly he unscrewed the lid. The sound of breaking the plastic seal filling the room. As he lifted the bottle to his lips, he noticed that his hands were shaking. He had to pull himself together, and fast. Another peek at the clock and he realized that it was finally getting closer to the meeting time.

He stood and walked around the room, needing to work off some of this nervous energy. Ed paced back and forth in the small room. He tried some of the breathing techniques that he had always heard Jasper talk about. Breathe deep, through the nose, fill your lungs completely. Hold it, then slowly blow the air out, emptying the lungs completely, then do it again. After several attempts, all he felt was out of breath. This was not helping. Bracing his arms on the table, he leaned heavily, hanging his head. Finally he said a small prayer. One that his mother had taught him when he was young. As he softly whispered 'Amen' he heard a noise out in the hallway. Ed looked up. It was showtime.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Another day dawned bright and only slightly hazy over Trenton, New Jersey. Of course, to Gene it wasn't just another new day, it was a race against the clock. With all the excitement of Tom's sting, it had fallen to him to get this taken care of. Grabbing a sheaf of papers from his desk, Gene headed to the stairs. He absently waved a goodbye to whoever was on monitor duty and left in a hurry. Buildings and houses and trees and people all blurred together in his haste to get to the Attorney Generals office.

Once again, it was not what you know, but who you know and he was rushing to get to his friend Kent's office. Kent was helping Gene file the patent papers in behalf of Drs Brian Taylor and Tom Dutton since they were, at this time, otherwise occupied. It was important to get the papers stamped with the date and time as quickly as possible, getting the formula for his serum in the process of being patented.

Gene had already spent hours with Brian and Kent making sure that all the paperwork was in order. He had no doubt that everything was fine in that regard. It was the process of the patent itself that mattered. With Kent's guidance, they were getting it in the system so that it would preempt anyone else from filing anything similar, and it would keep Brian's research safe and out of the hands of anyone who might want to see it. Kent had even worked out a way to keep it out of the public domain for the next fifty years, with provisions that required strict compliance to FDA rules and regulations if, or when, it was to be used. This was one of the only ways that they knew of that could keep it safe. It was what Brian wanted to give him peace of mind.

Well aware of what was happening with Tom and his agency today, Gene was secure in the knowledge that what he would do with Kent was keeping at least one more weapon out of the hands of the horrible people that were capable of using it in the worst possible way. Taking this network of dealers down was a big step in securing a safer world, but everyone was aware that in time others would try to take their place. Taking a potential weapon out of their hands was another step in stopping the destruction that they would try to bring. In that regard, Gene saw this patent as one of the most important things that he could be doing right now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The couch in his father's old office was the most comfortable thing he had ever slept on. Jasper sat on the edge of the cushions, marveling that he had been able to sleep at all. From the moment he had walked back into this building, his life had been in an upheaval.

All that he thought that he knew about his friends had been challenged. His desires to introduce a new line of products for Humelik to market had been put on hold. He had walked right into a crisis of epic proportions. But one thing remained constant. The men his father had always trusted were still here, and were still willing to help him to make things right.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Jasper stood and tried to center his focus on what was happening today. They would have a satellite link to see the meeting that Ed was scheduled to have with the man who could have ruined everything. Had Ed's original deal gone through, Humelik would have been responsible for unleashing one of the most dangerous drugs ever used in chemical warfare. Just the thought, that they had come so close to that, made him a bit queasy.

He walked down the hall to join Richard and Paul. There were two big events happening almost simultaneously this morning. Ed's meeting in New York, and Karl's in Stockholm. They would be able to see Ed. But only audio would be available to them for Karl.

The men looked at each other as he entered the room. Jasper sat, Richard paced for a few more minutes, grabbing coffee and offering it to the others before he too sat. Paul preferred to remain standing. He stayed in his position, right behind the chairs that had been set up around the end of the table. He stared at the screen. They already had a live feed. They had been able to watch Ed for the last five minutes. Both Richard and Paul took some small satisfaction in seeing how agitated and nervous he was. He should be for what he had almost done. But it was when Leo stepped into the room, that Paul could no longer stay standing. His legs barely got him to his chair. This is the first time he had seen his son since the kidnapping.

They had talked on the phone and Paul had noted the fatigue that he had heard in his voice, but nothing had prepared to see him like this. Leo had lost weight, he was only now recovering from his ordeal and was still pale. It nearly broke Paul's heart to see him like this. So weak, so fragile. This had taken such a toll on him, both physically and mentally. Paul just hoped that when this was over and done with today, they could send Leo home. This is where he needed to be now.

They all watched as Leo patted Ed on his shoulder and left the room. Silence echoed in both rooms. And just when they could not take any more, a man appeared in the doorway. He was tall and large, and dressed in a nice conservative suit. Ed stood. The meeting had begun.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ship was no longer visible on the horizon. It had moved on to the next port of call. It had been their intention to follow the same path, and keep an eye on the ship that they were not cruising on. But they had decided to stay here for a few days more and let the ship go on without them. Only a small part of that decision was based on the fact that they needed to be here to make sure that the Morboso incident was wrapped up properly. Tom would need to talk to them before they moved on.

Mostly, they needed to have a chance to relax and let the events of last night sink in. The moonlit walk on the beach had not exactly gone as he had planned. Ranger sighed as he pulled Stephanie a little closer to him as she slept. His wife was an amazing woman. What she did last night, how she kept a cool head and how she helped him. He was impressed. But he still could not get over the fact that she had been so close to danger.

He had tried to keep her as far from trouble as he could, leaving Tom's operations behind in Trenton. Flying them to the other side of the globe to get away. All he got was an 'A' for his efforts. His thoughts brought him again to the moment that he had known that Morboso was there. He had been panicked and angry that his plans to keep away from all that had been for all for nothing. How dare that horrible little man plow into their lives like that.

A smile touched the corners of his mouth. Stephanie had been spectacular. When she tossed that branch to him, he had seen the fierceness in her eyes. He had known in that moment that she was going to be just fine. Her instincts to protect her own were every bit as strong as his. And though he would never have chosen this incident to happen, they had both learned something very valuable because of it.

Stephanie would always have this confidence in knowing that she was capable of doing what needed to be done in any situation that she found herself in. She had come such a long way from the brand new bounty hunter he had met in the cafe so long ago, coming to him for his help.

And he had learned never to underestimate Stephanie. He had always known that she had grit and a loyalty that was strong and genuine. He had fallen love with her many qualities that had endeared her to him over the past couple of years. Now he saw that they were partners in this life they had finally chosen to share together. He would always do what he needed to, to protect her, to protect Mat. And he would always be proud to have her by his side, sharing his strength with him. His perfect partner.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kara's eyes never left the monitor, she lifted her left hand and put it over one of the headphones that she wore. It was an unconscious effort to try to hear the conversation that she was concentrating on. She had been pacing, in a limited radius because of the headphone cord that connected her to the computer, and now she was leaning her right hand on the table as she listened and watched. Her hand moved from the headphone to be placed on her hip, her elbow sticking out and her body language screaming 'attitude'.

Brian had never seen anyone as fascinating as Kara. His attention was constantly being drawn to her, no matter how hard he tried to focus on the events that were happening all around him. He knew that he had insisted on being here, he had said that he wanted to be a part of the justice that would come to the people that had tried to use him, use his formula to bring evil into this world. He still wanted that, but now he was thinking that he wanted Kara more than he had ever wanted anything in his whole life.

Over and over he tried to shake the feeling that he would never be able to live without her. This had never happened to him before. He was both enthralled and terrified by it. It was like losing control, and the one thing that he had always been known for was his absolute control. Over his lab, over his research, over his emotions. What was happening to him?

Even as he asked himself that question, he looked over at Kara. The haircut she had was amazing, it was spiky and wispy at the same time, lots longish layers feathered out around her slender face. He ached to touch her hair, to feel silky strands slip through his fingers. Now the headphones made her hair stick out at odd angles and it was adorable to see that serious, concentration on her face contrasted by the whimsical look of her hair. Everything about her seemed to captivate him, draw him to her.

Tom walked over and sat next to him. He was trying his best to let the team do their work, trying not to butt in and to do everything. He had confidence in them, many of them had been working with him over the years in all sorts of stings and missions. He had hand picked each one of them to work with him on this project. And most of all, he had promised that he was here because it was important to him to see these men go down, to follow through and see this mission to the end.

He was as nervous as Kara, as intent as John, dedicated at Nick, and as pissed off as Brian. Everyone in this room had a stake in this operation. And he was truly grateful to have a team as qualified and skilled as this one was. Would he miss all this when he was gone? He didn't think so. Like Ranger, he had made the decision to let this be his last assignment. He deserved, actually, he needed some time for himself, to get his life back. It was time.

Brian had not immediately noticed that Tom was sitting next to him. Both men had been lost in their own thoughts, and Brian was distracted by the petit fireball on the other side of the room. When he finally looked over, he smiled at Tom and gave a little shrug.

"Most of this is pretty foreign to me," he said. Tom nodded.

"It's like stepping out of one world and into another for me too," Tom replied. He stared at the team for a moment before turning his attention back to Brian.

"Your new look suits you," Tom said, taking a good look at his friend.

Gone was the lab coat, and the magnifying glasses that he so frequently wore while working. He wore jeans and an untucked button down shirt. Ella had worked her magic for both of them by finding them clothes that fit them perfectly, all at the last minute. He briefly wondered what it would be like to have an Ella in his life, being there whenever she was needed, making life easier for everyone she worked with. He almost smiled at that thought.

Brian's hair had also grown out since the kidnapping incident. While the man had been handsome with his clean shaved head, he was very attractive with the thick head of hair that he now had. Brian noticed Tom's inspection of his look and he shyly smiled. Up until now, it wouldn't have mattered to him. He'd had no time to think about whether anyone liked his appearance. But Tom could see by the way that Brian's eyes immediately went to where Kara was standing, that it meant something now. At least he when it concerned what she thought.

Tom smiled and put his hand on Brian's shoulder as he stood, "Yeah, I think she likes your look," he said. Dropping that little bomb as he walked away. Leaving Brian wondering if she had said anything to him. Wondering, hoping that it was true!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone watched as Wyvern, otherwise known as Gentleman X, entered the office and extended his hand to Ed. The man was acting like this was just another business appointment, that he was only meeting with a client, not planning the purchase of the most destructive weapon that he had ever come across. They all cringed at the thought that he looked so professional, so normal. He could have been anybody. Why didn't the bad guys have to look evil?

Kara was the only one who was not surprised, she had met the man, and although he may not have looked it, he did give off an distinctive aire, a feeling of menace. At least that was what she had always felt. It had been confirmed with every single person that she'd met, who worked for him. They all got the vibe that he was not a nice man.

Now here he was on the screen, sitting down for a negotiation of sorts. The man had nerve, she thought. Waltzing in to someone's office. Then she stopped her thought process. He did not come here out of confidence that meeting with Ed personally would result in the formula being handed over. He is here out of desperation. With the intention of forcing Ed to give him what he wanted. She did not like either scenario, and she was glad that in just a few minutes, he would be removed from society altogether. It couldn't happen soon enough for her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After traveling all night in an uncomfortable compact car, Karl finally got the chance to stand up and stretch his long legs. He was so nervous about what he had to do. But he did not want to show it. He had agreed to help with this sting operation. He had contacted the man he was about to meet with now. He had syked himself out to be able to play the part of the confident negotiator, coming to finalize the transaction that his colleague had begun.

He had done all of this in order to make things right again. To do all he could to restore people's faith in him, or even his faith in himself. He had learned a lot about himself during this whole ordeal. Some of what he saw he was disappointed in, he could change that. He was in the process of changing. But the one thing he'd learned that he could use now, was that he was a good actor. He had been playing parts ever since Ed talked him into helping him save the company. He had done whatever he needed to, had become who he needed to be to do it. He would use this new found skill to get through then next half hour.

He was alone now, having dropped the agents that came with him, at a location away from the meeting place. They would be listening to the conversation through the mic that Karl wore in his hat. This was his disguise, a baseball cap, jeans and a sweatshirt. His contact did not want to draw attention to this meeting. Karl could only laugh at that. There was plenty of attention already, and they didn't even know it.

He looked up at the coffee shop that had been chosen at the meeting place. It was old, and it was much larger than he would have expected. Through the windows, Karl could see that there were a lot of empty tables and even some booths it the back that would offer some privacy. he imagined that they would be meeting back there. But he did not make any move toward the door. His instructions were to remain in the parking lot until they came to him. He would recognize them by the sweatshirts that they would wear. It had been decided that they would be in shirts that said 'Harvard', just like the one he was currently wearing.

In a town that boasted more than ten universities, they would both blend in and be unmistakable. Trying to be as nonchalant as he could, Karl leaned back against the car. he folded his arms across his chest and crossed one ankle over the other. With an effort, he relaxed his shoulders to allow an attitude of boredom, of a calm that he did not feel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	23. Chapter 23

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Reaction

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dirty dishes were piled on the linen covered cart. Stephanie dropped the pencil down next to the dinner order menu, placing it conspicuously to the side of the breakfast dishes. She smiled up at Ranger as he offered his hand to her. Pulling her close, he held her gently and started humming. They swayed together in a smooth rhythm to his sexy latin serenade.

"All set for dinner?" he asked her. She nodded and tucked her head into his neck, kissing him gently before wrapping her arms around his waist, and moving in closer. They were content and perfectly happy to stay locked up inside their of room for as long as they wanted.

"You gotta love room service," she said with a smile.

Suddenly he spun her around and dipped her so low, her head was only inches from the floor. Slowly he brought her back up, stopping midway to kiss her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she tightened her grip to prolong the kiss a little longer.

Finally he pulled her into a standing position. Both of them were a little breathless as he continued the dance. Moving to an imagined melody, he circled the room with her enveloped in his arms. Reveling in the feel of her, the sweet scent of her perfume, the sound of her voice as she laughed in delight, elated at the thought that she was his.

With whisper soft kisses, she made her way from his neck to his lips. Suddenly Ranger pulled back and said, "Hold that thought."

Quickly, he crossed the room and rolled the cart out into the hallway. He placed the do not disturb placard on the outside of the door, then he closed it and secured both of the locks. "There!" he said as he turned back to face her. "There are no excuses for any interruptions now."

With one swift move, he had her back in his arms. They continued their dance, with soft light filtering in through the curtains, the music now provided by the ocean itself through the open window. Wrapped in his embrace, Stephanie was happy to not think about anything at all. And right now he would let it be that way. Nothing could touch them here. For now they could act like nothing had happened.

He could pretend that she had never been in any danger. She could make believe that bad guys did not exist. She had not asked any questions about Morboso last night. And now, with the morning light playing with the shadows, they could exist in their own private world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While they were watching, Ed tried his best to keep Wyvern talking. It was not an easy task with a man who is usually so taciturn. But he was doing everything that he could think of to make him say something, anything that would give his intentions away. In a neighboring room, Tank and Lester stood by to help with the take down, they silently watched the closed circuit monitor, ready to move immediately when it was time. Down the block, Kara and the team were watching too, they were also getting messages from the agents around the world.

In Cairo, a covert Limo ride had delivered the man who had been next on the list of wanted arms dealers. Code name Rukh, this stupid man stepped into the back of his car, never looking to see who was driving. He had always been arrogant enough to assume that it his driver in the car whenever he got in. Just like so many men in power, he started to ignore and take for granted all of the smaller players in his world. He never even spoke face to face to the man who was responsible for getting him where he needed to go. He may not have recognized him even if he had looked. But this man truly defined the term idiot. When he was delivered to his destination, he finally saw what was happening and he started to put up a fight, even though he was clearly outnumbered. But in the end, all he got was a few broken ribs and a black eye for his trouble. Military police had loaded him onto the Army transport plane within minutes of the Limo's arrival at the base. Kara had to suppress a laugh when she read the comment that they had had a tranquilizer dart 'malfunction'.

Rukh didn't know what hit him, and he would not be conscious again until he was in permanent custody. He deserved everything that he got and much more, she thought as she moved to the map on the board and put a white dot next to the pin in Egypt.

Brian was paying close attention to Kara's every move. He found that he liked the way she looked like a dancer in motion. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if she had taken ballet when she was younger. His lips curled in a small smile. There were so many things that he did not know about her. Things that he would like the chance to get to know. He could imagine that she had been very good at ballet if, in fact, she had taken lessons. His mind wandered, he bet she was good at everything that she did. Her efforts on the team were obvious examples of her skills and how serious she took her job. It was easy to think that she would put the same efforts into anything that she wanted to do.

Suddenly Kara spun around and looked at the monitor. Brian was a little bit shocked, pulled out of his musings by her actions. Tom joined the group, standing around the table, listening and watching. Wyvern's patience, it seemed, had been pushed to its limits, and he wasn't going to take it any more. While Tank and Lester had been in place, in the next room, it hadn't taken Wyvern long to move around the table and take Ed in a stranglehold. His desperation was showing, his physically assaulting a man in a public office building wasn't the first bad choice he had made today, coming here in the first place had started it. Funny thing was, it probably went against all the rules he had ever had for himself. He had been off balance since the first meeting he had had with Ed Aslak.

But he had made his move, and now he was going to see the rules that Tank lived by. Before Ed could really feel the effects of having his breath crushed out of his windpipe, Tank had grabbed both of Wyvern's arms and pulled him back away from him.

The large man roared, his anger filled the room with a sound that was more like an animal growl than anything human. Kara gasped. Tom looked on to see Tank take Wyvern down to the floor. The struggle was ferocious, one of Tom's men entered the room as Lester was escorting Ed away from the melee. The chair he had formerly been sitting on was now in pieces on the floor, the table had been knocked over to the side of the room with the powerful leg thrusts by the man who was now realizing his mistakes. Confirming what everyone knew, that he should never have come here.

Both men were large and well built, but Tank had several inches of height and probably a good fifty pounds of weight over Wyvern. The struggle was hard to watch, a trapped animal is one of the most dangerous and unpredictable things to have to deal with. And for all intents and purposes, Wyvern was trapped, and he knew it. His head shot up as Ed was being pulled out of the room. He looked into the eyes of the man who had brought about the end of his world. Everything had started when he had made the mistake of working with Ed Aslak. He knew it, and now there was nothing that he could do about it.

Brian had ended up standing next to Kara and Tom to witness this final fight of the man who had come so close to ruining his years of work, his formula for the serum. This is why he was here,what he wanted to see. He held his breath watching Tank subdue the large man. He liked Tank and he was hoping that nothing was going to happen to him. They were moving so fast, it was hard to see what was going on. Wyvern would get some leverage and whip his legs around, and the next thing they knew, the men were on the ground. Sometimes Tank was on the bottom, sometimes on top, but he never let go of his hold on Wyvern's arms. Brian had never seen anything like this, and he wasn't sure he wanted to see any more. He could not handle the thought of Tank get hurt. He started to take a step back when he felt a hand on his arm. Brian looked down to see that it was Kara's hand that rested on his forearm sending bursts of fire through all of his nerve endings.

"He will be alright," she said softly. Brian looked into her eyes. He saw the concern, but also the confidence that came from working with men like Tank. They were a special breed, and they did not give up. No matter what the bad guys came up with, men in these positions fought to the end with all they had.

His expression must have said what Brian could not put into words. His fears, his worries, his inexperience with this kind of situation. She must have understood it all because Kara let her hand slip down his arm to hold his. In fact, in an action that he never expected, she took his hand in both of hers, pulling him closer as she whispered into his ear. No one else seemed to notice, but for Brian, his world had just been turned upside down. Her touch, her voice, her breath on his neck, the sensory overload of having Kara Knight next to him was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced.

When she turned back to look at the screen, she kept his hand. Brian watched her. He could not take his eyes off of her. He knew that Tank had succeeded in subduing Wyvern, just from the look of relief on her face. He knew that this had been the culmination of the job she had worked at for so long. The satisfaction was evident in her smile, in the sparkle in her eyes.

She squeezed his hand and suddenly the connection was severed as she moved to place another dot on the map. He felt the loss of her touch immediately. It took him a few minutes for his brain to kick in and allow him to examine just what he had been feeling. The revelation that came to him rocked everything that he thought he knew about his world. He did not want to be alone. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kara. Now what was he going to do about it?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sun had come out a few minutes ago. The rain storm had passed through and Karl watched with interest as the bright rays warmed the wet asphalt and steam was formed creating a thin mist that rose from the ground. He had been standing here next to his car for nearly fifteen minutes now. The agents should be in place and the men he was about to meet should be here anytime. He hoped it would all be over soon. This waiting, not knowing what was going to happen was every bit as bad as he had imagined it would be.

He was getting closer to feeling that he just couldn't take any more, and he had pushed himself away from the car. Karl started mumbling, but seemed to remember suddenly that everyone could hear him so he stopped, leaving the thoughts unspoken but still echoing in his mind. Back at Humelik, Jasper kept himself from smiling. He recognized the tone, and some of the words that his friend had just said.

He was repeating the mantra that they had had in school when things were going wrong. They were lyrics from a song they had learned as kids. It was in a different language and Jasper and his friends had used it with the intention to deal with frustrations, or anger, but not let anyone know when they were mad or upset. He was happy to know that some things did not change. Jasper himself had used their mantra many times during his soccer games. It had helped him often, he hoped it was helping Karl now.

A couple of men started walking across the parking lot. They were coming directly at him and Karl unfolded his arms to reveal the word Harvard on his shirt. As they got closer, he could see that theirs said the same thing and he nodded. Assuming that they would all go inside the coffee shop, Karl started to turn in that direction. But the men surprised him by grabbing his arms and trapping him between them. They started pulling him back across the parking lot, the way they had come from.

Karl panicked. He could not go anywhere hidden, he was told that only a public meeting place was acceptable for his safety. He was scared, but putting up a fight would not be the thing to do. Nobody wanted to bring any attention to these men. The agents had told him several times that they needed to do this without raising suspicions from the local law enforcement. It was a complication that they did not need if they wanted to put these men out of business for good. But there was no way he was willing to just quietly go along with these arms dealers. He was expendable, he meant nothing to them and he knew it.

He tried to pull his arms from their grip, but they did not even flinch. They were headed for a grouping of trees, and he was not sure what was going to happen once they got there. Again, he pulled his arms and attempted to stop walking. The men did not seem amused by his antics, but he had succeeded in diverting their attention. While they were looking at him, the agents emerged from the trees and joined them. They each grabbed a hold of the men's arms, propelling them quickly into the trees and out of sight.

The moment that Karl felt his arms go free, he moved away from the men. He watched as the agents effortlessly cuffed them. He frowned. He would have expected more of a struggle. Something just didn't seem right. And just as that thought came to him, he heard movement behind him. It had been a trap, he yelled out and stumbled to the ground as he saw guns in the hands of the men who had come to join the group. A horrible crack sounded in the air above him. Karl was afraid to look up, he kept his head on the ground, covered with his arms.

In his office, Richard was alarmed to hear the shot. "Gunfire!" he said, jumping up and stepping back away from the screen. Paul looked at him and shook his head slightly. Then they both looked at Jasper who gasped and looked like all the color had drained from his tanned face.

"Karl," Jasper said, in a whisper. He had never intended for Karl to be in danger like this. When Karl had agreed to be in on this sting, he had been proud of him, glad to see that he was willing to make things right. And he had thought that the agents in charge would be able to keep him safe. But nothing was worth losing his friend. He stared at the black monitor in front of them. He did not dare breathe, not until he knew what was happening.

Suddenly everything was silent. They froze in place. Jasper was still not breathing. The moment seemed to stretch on forever. When they heard someone ask Karl if he was hurt, a collective breath was released when he said that he was alright. No one had expected any of this. Suddenly it all felt much more real than they had ever imagined.

Karl's outburst had gained their attention and the agents saw the men coming. Their guns were out immediately too. Only one shot was allowed before the agents used their own guns, with silencers, to stop them. Within minutes a van drove up and Karl stood back with the agents and watched as several men moved quickly and gathered up all four men to load them up and take them away.

"Rangers," one of the agents said in response to the questioning look in Karl's eyes. "They were our backup today. Sure am glad they were here!" All Karl could do was nod in agreement.

Suddenly the other agent became very chatty, possibly to ease the uncomfortable situation. It was his experience that civilians usually got shaken up by the events that unfold in front of their eyes. So he spoke up and told Karl that no one had been killed, and that they had only been injured in order to stop them. They would now be taken into custody and interrogated. His part in this ordeal was over, and suddenly Karl felt tired and weak. All he wanted to do now was go home.

Jasper and Richard and Paul all felt the same relief as Karl to know that it was done. No one moved a muscle for the longest time. It was done.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I miss him," Stephanie said softly as they were sitting together on the lounge chair on their private deck. Leisurely they watched the waves crash on the beach and roll back into the ocean. Her back was resting against his chest and she felt his arms come around her and hug her gently.

Maybe it had been the fear that her husband had been in danger. Maybe it was the relief that he was now safe. Maybe it had been her part in the whole affair. But Stephanie wanted to go home. To hold Mat. To be together as the little family that they now were. She was just unsure how to tell Ranger that she didn't need a long honeymoon to know that he loved her. And she hoped that he would understand that she intended to let him know, every day for the rest of her life, just how much she loves him and wants to be with him.

Ranger leaned forward and pulled her hair away from her neck so that he could drop a kiss below her ear. Then he whispered the words that she had been longing to hear.

"Would you like to sleep all the way home?"

She turned around to look into his eyes. He always seemed to have the ability to read her thoughts, and she had never been so happy about that particular skill of his as she was in this moment. She may have nodded, just slightly before she planted a big kiss on his lips. The power of that kiss was too much for the back of the lounge chair and it flopped down, spilling them out onto the warmed deck. Neither of them seemed to mind. They were too busy showing each other how much in love they were.

When Stephanie finally came up for breath, Ranger managed to let her know that the flight was scheduled to leave from Barcelona at ten o'clock that night. They would have plenty of time to drive back down the coast, eat dinner at that great seafood place they had found before and to be there, ready to fall asleep on the plane.

Stephanie gazed into his dark eyes. The thought of going home made her happy, but she needed to see that he was not disappointed that this is what she wanted. She did not want to hurt him in any way.

"I miss him too," he said in response to her intense look. "Let's go home."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Within the space of one hour, Tom had heard back from every team. Without exception, the men they were after had been taken down and were indefinitely detained. Tom knew that his next job would be assisting in the interrogations. His knowledge of the illegal arms business would help them in getting the information that they needed to get one step closer to shutting down this practice around the globe. One step closer to a more peaceful world, but Tom did not kid himself. He knew that there were others out there even now to take the place of these top players. Unfortunately there would always be men who were ruthless and power hungry. There would always be a job for people like him to do, to try to stop them. But Tom was having some very serious thoughts about what he wanted to do now that his assignment was almost over.

He was starting to think in terms of taking a vacation that was as long as his mission had been. It might just take some time for him to become reacquainted with Tanner Drake again. He had a lot of thinking to do. Tom's thought were suddenly interrupted when Kara walked by. She was another one who needed to take some time off. He watched her as she kept herself busy, arranging and rearranging the same papers over and over again. She was stalling, and for a split second he wondered why. Then it hit him. Oh, Kara was good. Tom walked away to sit back and watch the show from a distance.

Kara had been busy putting her dots on the map. Brian had enjoyed watching her. Absently he picked up the cup of coffee that she had handed him earlier, just to give his hands something to do while he was concentrating on Kara's every move. The cups of coffee that they had all started out with were nearly untouched. Watching the progress of the teams had held their attention, and now the coffee was cold. Brian lifted the cup to his lips and stopped immediately. There were not very many things worse than cold, unsweetened coffee.

He set the cup down, and looked at it for a moment. Tom could see the thought forming in his friend's head, and he smiled. Brian looked up at Kara and stood. Hesitantly he moved forward. He cleared his throat as he approached her. She looked up at him when he got close and he instantly became lost in her eyes. It took nearly a full minute for him to speak. Tom tried hard not to laugh.

"Umm," Brian said. "I have noticed that my coffee is cold, and I'm willing to bet that yours is too."

She smiled and nodded. But did not say a word. Tom felt like applauding, but he kept quiet. The show was better than he had anticipated. Brian shifted his weight from one foot to the other a few times before he finally asked. "Would you, I mean if you are done here," he said, pointing to the papers in her hands. Tom almost lost it, when he saw the look on Kara's face. Her ruse had almost backfired if he thought she was too busy to go with him. But Brian continued. "Would you like to go down and grab something at the cafe across the street?"

Kara couldn't put the papers down fast enough. "All done here," she said in a sing song voice. She swallowed and looked up in to his eyes. "I would love to," she said. Tom could see that for all the acting, she was just as nervous as Brian was. He shook his head. How did all that just happen? He had witnessed love at first sight and he liked what he saw. No two people in the world deserved happiness more than Brian and Kara.

Love at first sight, the phrase stuck in his mind. He remembered the first time he looked into Maria's big brown eyes. He had been lost right there and then. Something stabbed his heart. A pain that he had not been prepared for, and he found that he was suddenly a bit out of breath. After a moment to calm down, he stopped to wonder what that had been about. With a sudden realization, Tom knew that he was still grieving. With all that had gone on, he had not even had the chance to stop and just think about how much he missed her. How much it hurt that she was gone.

He watched Brian escort Kara out of the room. His heart was happy for his friend. For both of them. It was time for them to find what would make them happy. As for himself, well, he knew that, in time, his heart would heal. But these thoughts were still too painful. Tom stood and started getting busy again with the last few things that needed to be done to wrap up the work here.

There would be de briefings, there would be reports and there would be decisions to be made. Work would be enough for right now, to keep his mind busy. And that was a good thing, he was not ready to take out his feelings and examine them just yet.

At the same time that he felt the resolve to keep busy, a feeling of melancholy settled in. Things that had been lost broke his heart. Tom doubled his efforts to be occupied. He told himself, again, that he was not ready to look at all of those things. Not yet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	24. Chapter 24

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I Need You. Epilog

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Trees towered overhead. Burgers sizzled on the grill. Stephanie smiled as she watched the kids running around the yard. Helen came up to the back porch and stood next to her, sharing the scene before them. "Reminds me of another picnic," Helen said. "Do you remember Mat's first picnic in the park?"

Stephanie nodded. It had been such a great day. She and Ranger had come home early from the honeymoon. Julie had just arrived for her visit, the weather was beautiful and it seemed like the perfect thing to do. Helen and Val packed the lunch and like so many times before, they brought Tony and Nick to play with the girls.

Little Nicky loved Mat from the moment that he first saw him. Ranger got a kick of the way he would talk to him, explaining the world in a four year olds terms. Several times, Nicky asked if he could hold Mat. Stephanie was nervous about it, so she kept orchestrating something to divert his attention. Finally, Nick found her laying on the blanket with Mat. He stood in front of her with his hands on his hips. "He looks ready now," he said and plopped right down with them.

"He looks alot like my baby brother," Nicky said. He held his little arms out. "My mommy lets me hold Gino," he stated matter of factly. "She even makes me hold Gina too sometimes." Ranger sat down with them. He lifted Nick into his lap and they both reached out for Mat.

It was one of the cutest things that she had ever seen him do. And with a smile she placed Mat into Nicky's arms. Cradling the two little boys in his arms, Ranger asked Nicky if he wanted to hear Mat's favorite story. The little boy's eyes widened and he enthusiastically nodded his head yes.

Julie was watching and heard the question, she came to lay down on the soft blanket to hear the story too. One by one the kids all came to join them and Ranger told them the story about the Star Princess and her Warrior Prince. And as he had done once before, he showed them the pictures on the blanket. He pointed to the moon, and it's reflection in the water, and to the beautiful water lily.

She would never forget how she felt that day. Surrounded by family and kids. Much like they were today. The kids were now all a year older, and they were still running around playing their favorite games. But today, Mat was standing, watching them with big eyes. Looking like he was ready to start running with them. Julie had both of his hands in hers and she walked along behind him as he took quick little steps propelling himself and her forward to join the noisy kids.

Helen patted Stephanie on her shoulder left to go after Julie. Stephanie smiled as Helen pulled her camera out of her apron pocket. Her parents already had three big scrapbooks, full of pictures of the grand kids, sitting on their coffee table. She just shook her head. You could never have too many memories. Her eyes naturally gravitated toward her husband.

Ranger looked up from the grill to flash a smile at her. He always seemed to know when she was looking at him. And it always did something amazing to her stomach when she saw that smile. Stephanie blew him a kiss and the smile changed, she cocked her head to the side, it reminded her of the smile he gave her in the photo that would always be her favorite. The first one he had taken with Mat. Ranger's smile was mysterious now, just like in that photo. She knew him, and she knew that he must have a surprise in store for her. She could hardly wait to find out what it was.

She started to walk toward him when she hear the doorbell ringing inside of the house. Stephanie rushed to the front door. Mary Lou and her family stood smiling at her when she opened the door.  
"Hey guys," Stephanie said, and motioned them to come inside and go through to the kitchen door that led to the deck. One by one the kids handed her packages wrapped in matching paper, but all sporting different colors of ribbon. She shot an inquiring look at her friend.

"Housewarming gifts," Mary Lou said with a smile. "You can open them later, just know that you will need each and every one of those things before you have been here a year." She winked and joined her kids outside.

Stephanie just shrugged and set the pile of presents on the table behind the leather sofa. She followed them out into the back yard. She was really glad, now, that Ranger had talked her into this huge lot. She was looking out over the beautiful park like setting, with huge trees surrounding the expanse of lawn that had tables and chairs set up all around. It was big enough to accommodate about anything they needed and it was going to be perfect for the many gatherings that they intended to have here.

Not to say that she wasn't going to miss the apartment at RangeMan. It had been such a great place for the little family. They had converted the small office into a room for Julie to stay in for all the weekends that she would fly up to spend with them. Rachel had not been so excited about that. But Julie can be very persuasive when she wants to be.

Now she had a suite upstairs that had it's own bathroom and sitting room. Julie had even brought Rachel with her, when they first moved in, to show her that everything was going to be just fine. On Rachel's next visit, they would show her around RangeMan, where Julie had a job doing searches with Stephanie everytime she came, to earn some extra money that she saved up. The job would be waiting for her when she moved up to go to college after she graduated. No sense in giving her all the information all at once, they did not want to overwhelm her.

By the time Stephanie got back out to the party, she could see that one of his aunts had stolen Mat away from Julie. Celia now had him in her arms, and he was trying to feed baby carrots to her. It looked like he had already stuffed at least a few inside her mouth. Stephanie was laughing, she knew just how generous his sharing games could be. Now he was sharing with Sophia who was attempting to grab him away from her sister. Stephanie knew that she would never get tired of seeing Ranger's family together with them. Julie loved it when they were here, and so did Mat.

Seeing that Mat was in good hands, she made her way to the grill to check on the supplies of meat and portobello mushrooms that were a favorite of all of her rangemen. While she was at it, she decided to kiss the cook. She may have become a little bit carried away, because she heard Lester whistle at them before stealing the spatula away from Ranger and taking over the cooking detail.

Arms wrapped around each other, Ranger walked up to the house with Stephanie. They were pulling more food from the fridge when the doorbell rang again. That mysterious smile appeared again as he hurriedly put the tray down on the counter and said "I'll get it," over his shoulder as he left the room. She put down the food she had in her hands and followed him.

When she saw who was at the door, she stopped in her tracks. Stunned, she had not expected them to be able to make it. They had been in Europe last time she talked to them. Stephanie rushed forward. "Brian!" she almost yelled. He caught her in a big hug, Ranger standing to the side laughing. "Why," she said. As in why didn't you let me know you were coming. And then "How," she said. And "Where," Finally she said "What?" when Kara walked in with a huge bird cage and the most colorful bird that she had ever seen.

"Hi Stephanie," Kara said as she handed the cage to Ranger and hugged her friend.

Stephanie was still a bit speechless, so Brian did some introductions. "This is Solomon, he is an Eclectus Parrot." Stephanie just nodded. "They make great pets, and every new home needs a bird," he said with a smile.

She smiled back at him. "It's really great to see you," she grabbed each of them by the hand and walked to the back door with them. "I will let you give Solomon to the kids later," she said. "Now go and grab something to eat and tell me all about Humelik."

Ranger put Solomon in the family room and joined them outside. It was no surprise to him that Brian and Kara were here and that they had brought a bird. Not only were birds Brian's favorite thing, but he had called earlier to let him know that they would like to give them this pet, and he wanted to be sure it would be okay. They both decided that it would be fun to keep it a surprise from Stephanie. And the look on her face had been worth it.

Ranger watched his wife as she made sure that Brian and Kara were comfortable and loaded up with food. Stephanie had met Brian last year when he had come to RangeMan to get away from the illegal arms dealers who wanted to steal his serum formula. They had become instant friends the moment they met. Stephanie treated him like the brother that she never had.

Turned out that she was exactly what he needed too. He had never had a sister, and now he had one who could help him win the heart of the woman he had fallen in love with. Fortunately, Bobby had insisted that both Brian and Tom stay at RangeMan until they were strong enough to leave, and he made it clear that it would be his opinion that counted not theirs. So they were looking at at least three weeks.

That gave Stephanie enough time to orchestrate a few secret rendezvous and candlelight dinners on the roof, and a particularly creative scavenger hunt date that ended up in the shooting range in the basement. Kara was an expert shot, and Brian had never handled anything more than a flare gun in his life. It had been the perfect set up. Stephanie had watched as Kara wrapped her arms around Brian to show him how to hold and point the gun. She had seen that Kara had some mighty fine techniques, before Ranger scrambled the signal from the camera to give the couple some privacy in their firearm lessons.

It did not take long until there was another wedding at RangeMan. This time it was a ceremony on the rooftop where they had spent so much of their time. It had broken Ella's heart to find out that Kara had no living relatives. So she took it upon herself to set up the most special wedding ever. It was simple and beautiful and just perfect for them.

Since Kara's mission was over, and Brian had his formula protected, they decided to travel for a while. 'I know too much about birds,' he had told her, and she offered to expand his experiences by teaching him all the skills that she had learned to be an agent. It had been the perfect thing for both of them, and they showed each other their favorite places in the world while they were at it. As far as Stephanie was concerned, they were still on their honeymoon. And she never got tired of calling them 'love birds' like she did just now, earning an eyeroll from Brian.

Ranger sat down at the table just in time to hear about the past few months that they had been at the Humelik headquarters. Brian had been called to assist them with some new projects. His research techniques were the best and Jasper was interested in his studies about the environment .

"His line of natural sports products will be ready for manufacture soon," Brian was saying. "Jasper has loved all the research and he has taught me a thing or two about product development."

Kara was looking on with such pride in her eyes. She was holding Brian's hand and she squeezed it, drawing his attention to her. He did not hesitate to look into her eyes and kiss her. 'Yep' Stephanie thought again. They were still on their honeymoon.

"Tell them what you have been up to," Brian smiled at Kara and squeezed her hand in a show of support. For the next few minutes Kara explained her idea for a new line of clothing for people in the military. Especially women, but the design features worked for both men and women. She had gotten her ideas from some of their travels. From fabrics they had found around the world that adapted to the climates they were in. She was designing the new articles of clothing with the defense department, in a hush, hush type of project.

Now it was Brian's turn to look lovingly and proudly at his wife. Sometimes he had to pinch himself to believe that it was real. That he really was with her, and not destined to be a lonely scientist buried under his research somewhere.

Olivia arrived at the table with Mat in her arms. Stephanie grabbed him when he stretched his arms out to her. He still loved his mom best of all and he snuggled his head into her neck. "He has been running with the big kids, and I think he is getting droopy," Olivia said. She ran her hand over Mat's soft hair, before whispering something in his ear and going back to join the fun on the other side of the yard.

Ranger looked over at his wife and son. This had been the best year of his life. With Tank taking over the duties of running the missions that were assigned to the RangeMan teams, he had had time to really work on building up the business. And he found that he loved keeping busy all day and then going home with Stephanie and Mat. Before they bought the house, Stephanie brought Mat with her every day to run searches. Now that he was older, he did not like staying still and he got to play with Ella on the days that Stephanie came into the office.

Every day was a new experience for Ranger and for Stephanie. They would eat lunch with Ella and Mat and get a complete report on all of the adorable new things that he was doing. Of course they got their own performance when they got home too. It had taken them months to find and purchase this house. But from the first time they had seen it, they knew it was the one they were looking for.

Only five minutes away from the office, it was in a private community for security and had a huge yard for their gatherings like this one tonight. He gazed around the yard. Nearly everyone was here, all but the special surprise that he still had for Stephanie. His smile snuck onto his face, and she noticed it right away. She shot him a questioning glance just as they heard the doorbell.

She gave him a look and got up to answer the door. He quietly followed behind her. Just before she opened the door, he took Mat away from her. She gave him another strange look and pulled the door open. "Tanner!" she said with wonder in her voice. Her arms wrapped around him and she hugged him tight. It had been a long time since she had called him Tom. Not even when he was here with Brian. She had always called him by his real name. At least when they were alone. He was the other brother that she never had. And she was so excited to see him again, especially since last she heard, he was in California for who knows what.

"Its so good to see you Steph," Tanner said. She was nearly speechless again and she stole a glance at Ranger. He knew. He knew that Tanner was coming and he had known that Brian was going to come. He was really good at surprises. But the smile on his face said that he was not done, not yet.

Uhh, Steph," Tanner said. "I would like you to meet someone," Tanner reached his arm back and pulled a beautiful woman up to stand with him.

"Hi Steph," she said.

For a full minute Stephanie looked at her. She recognized something. Not the face, she would remember that face. The voice? Her eyes widened. "Susan?" she asked in a half whisper. Then she opened her arms to give her a hug. "Susan!" she said much louder. "It's you!"

They had never had the chance to meet in person. But since the moment that Ranger had shown up the base in Ecuador, Susan and Stephanie had been phone friends. Ranger had introduced them back then and they had kept in contact ever since. Of course, there must have been some conversations missing, because Stephanie did not know about the apparent connection between her and Tanner.

This was amazing. She could not wait to hear the whole story. But first Susan gushed over how big Mat getting to be. "His pictures do not do him justice." she said. Walking out to the back, they attracted alot of attention. Brian was the first one to come and greet Tanner and Susan. Immediately they all got absorbed in catching up with one another.

It was still a puzzle to her, but Stephanie intended to have the full story from Tanner and Susan before the night was done.

Bit by bit she found out how everything had happened. When Bobby gave Tanner a clean bill of health, he had gone down to DC and resumed his job at wrapping up the loose ends of the mission. As he had thought, he was asked to be involved in the interrogations of the men that had been taken into custody. It was an unpleasant task, and one day, after he had had enough of dealing with the scum of the earth, he had gone out into the courtyard to get some fresh air and to be alone.

Only a few minutes later, a woman walked over and sat down on one of the benches in the shade. She was on the opposite side of the courtyard and she did not see him immediately. But he had seen her. He watched as she got out her phone and angrily punched the number keys. She was mumbling, something about incompetence being an international epidemic. Tanner found himself amused by the whole thing. But was worried about what she would think if he just stayed there and listened into her conversations. So he walked over and introduced himself.

As he had suspected, she was a bit embarrassed about her outbursts, but soon they were laughing about it. They became fast friends and started to meet in the courtyard every day for lunch. One day, a couple of months ago, he found out that she had been in Ecuador. It was the day that they both shared their stories of the tragedies that they had both experienced in the loss of the ones they loved.

She was amazed to find that Tanner was Dr Tom Dutton. Everyone in the unit knew of the kidnapping, they had followed the story of the rescue. He was surprised to know that she had been there with Ranger, and that she knew Stephannie. This was more than just a 'small world isn't it' conversation.

She shared her story with him and his heart ached for her. Susan had joined the army to be with her husband. She was one of the office personnel in the places that he had been stationed. It had worked out for them, because they got to be together. Until he joined the Rangers. She had not been happy about it, but she could see that it was something that was important to him. So she ended up being alone while he was gone. Never knowing where he was, if he was okay.

Then she found out that he would not be coming home ever again. Her grief was so strong, she pulled away from everyone she knew because they reminded her of Mike. She asked to be reassigned and ended up in Ecuador. She had been hiding away there for years until Ranger came with his small baby boy. Watching him care for him, and fight for his family had touched something deep in her heart, it had given her the desire to live again. After she saw him off to the airplane, she went back to the building and requested another transfer.

Susan had ended up in DC at the same time that Tanner got there. Her frustration on the phone that day had been over the shipment of her things to the states. They had sat and stared at each other for a long time after hearing these revelations. It had changed something in their relationship. Suddenly they both knew what they wanted. They were done with their grief and sorrow.

They had been so much more than friends for a while, and now they realized that they wanted to be together. He had taken her to meet his family up in Boston. After such limited contact for so long, the family had a lot of catching up to do. Susan learned so much about Tanner during that weekend visit. Some things that she could tease him about for years to come.

Just recently, she had returned the favor by taking him to meet her family in California. He had never seen Susan blush until her brothers teased her about her 'boyfriend'. He thought it was cute, but he also knew that it was time to make things more permanent. All of a sudden, they did not want to waste any more time. They stopped by Atlantic City and got married. They wanted to be together for ever, starting right now.

She was amazed, Susan had told her that she was interested in someone, but she had been too shy to talk much about it to Stephanie. And all along it had been Tanner she was in love with. Now that she thought about it, they were perfect for each other. Wow. It was all she could the night was through she would be saying a lot more than that!

The evening breezes announced the impending darkness. Ranger turned on the outdoor lights and by the time the sun had faded the yard was transformed into a completely magical setting. Large round lights were strung up between the trees and all around the fence. They created a soft and romantic glow.

By now the kids were inside with the video games and DVD's Julie and Ranger's sisters were watching the gang inside, while the parents and adults stayed out under the stars and talked. Stephanie stepped into the house to check on Mat. He was asleep in Julie's arms. It was where you could find him every time she was here to visit. Stephanie looked forward to the day when Julie was here to stay.

Looking around at all of the kids, the cousins, the aunts and uncles, the grandparents, her friends. She was thrilled to be surrounded by the people that meant so much to her. Her heart filled to almost bursting. Tears of happiness filled her eyes.

Ranger had filled her day with surprises. She looked out into the softly lit yard. Once again, he knew that she was watching him and he looked up and smiled. She loved that connection that they shared. And she wondered if he had already guessed what the surprise was that she had for him.

Walking down the steps, she kept her eyes on him. He reached out to her and pulled her onto his lap. Even though they were not alone, she thought that this might be the perfect time to share her surprise.

She kissed his cheek and grabbed his hand. Without a word, she laid his hand over her stomach and placed her hands on top of his. It took a few minutes for her gesture to sink into his brain. Suddenly she felt the pressure of his hand, and she turned her head to look into his eyes. She saw it there, he knew now. Stephanie smiled and nodded.

But before they could say anything. Tanner stood up. Susan was bringing over a plate with more dessert for him and he pulled her into his embrace. With all eyes on them, he looked around and then he caught Stephanie's' eyes.

"I hope this is a good time," he said. "I," she looked at Susan and changed his statement. "We have an announcement to make." He smiled as he watched Stephanie's eyes grow wider. She had guessed it.

"We are going to have a baby," he said. There was a glow about the couple now that they had shared their secret. Both of them were older, so they had not wanted to waste any time in starting their family.

Susan turned to Ranger. "I want to thank you again for outfitting the nursery. It will all be put to good use now!" Ranger nodded and winked at her.

"I knew you would know what to do with it," he said with a smile.

Amid the congratulations and the excited conversation about what the next months and years would hold for this new couple, Stephanie and Ranger kept their surprise a secret. They were thrilled for Tanner and Susan, and it felt right to give them the spotlight. They wanted to have some private moments together before they shared their news with anyone. Maybe at the next gathering, here in their big yard, they would announce it. Maybe they would wait to see if anyone notices. Whatever their decision turned out to be, it would be the right one for them.

At the end of the evening, Ranger stood with Stephanie on the front porch, waving the last of their guests goodbye. He moved to hold her against him, her back to his front, his arms wrapped around her waist. She could feel his breath on her neck just seconds before he kissed her there. It sent tingles all through her body and she gasped. His touch never failed to make her a little bit crazy.

Wordlessly they walked into the house. They passed through the living room, turning lights off as they made their way to their bedroom. They both knew that this house would be filled with the greatest memories, of things that neither one of them had ever dared dream before. But now that they were together, everything seemed possible.

"It's still true," he whispered into her ear.

Stephanie looked up into his dark eyes so filled with emotion. "What?" she asked, breathlessly.

"I. Need. You." he said, running a finger along her face. She loved hearing the words, but his eyes said it all.

She gently kissed him, she knew in her heart that it was true, it always had been! "And I will always need you!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


End file.
